And Neal Makes
by Isla.Mac
Summary: Babysitting Neal while the Charmings go on a belated Honeymoon stirs feelings both Regina and Emma have tried to ignore. When they're then given a chance neither of them expected, will they be brave enough to go after what they want? Written for Swan Queen Week Day 1 Sharing Another Child.
1. Chapter 1

**So I haven't written fanfiction in a while and I thought what better time to get back into it than Swan Queen Week? This little idea popped into my head when I was looking at the prompts and I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Some things to note: I own nothing, Once Upon A Time and characters/etc belong to ABC and the show's creators, NOT to me. I do this for fun and get no profit. If I owned it, the show would be a heck of a lot gayer, trust me. Also please note that as of now, it is rated Teen for some language, but this MAY change later on, depending on how the story goes, haven't decided 100% on that yet. No trigger warnings that I could think of, if that changes, I'll note it at the top of the chapter.**

 **In reference to the timeframe/context of this fic: Robin is dead, Hook and Emma are NOT together, they broke up before they got married. Zelena is raising Robyn as a single mom, and Neal is a toddler. Takes place after the Dark One arc is resolved, and I kinda pretend that Season 6 just didn't happen, because I have yet to watch most of it.**

'Oh Emma!' Snow's voice rang out from the outside of Regina's open office. 'Good, I was hoping to talk to you!'

The sheriff turned around, feeling somehow that her mother's intrusion was interrupting her lunch with Regina. They did this frequently now, more days than not, Emma bringing take out from Granny's or Regina bringing something from home for them both. Today Regina brought chili and cornbread, one of Emma's favorites. And of course, if there were town business to discuss, they would. But mostly their lunches were friendly, an excuse to spend time together. How far the two had come, from Regina using her position to intimidate the blonde savior, to the woman's mother and her mortal enemy barging in on a friendly lunch. Not that Emma had been very intimidated in the first place.

'And naturally you came looking for her in my office?' Regina said, without the bite that her remark might have had years ago.

'No, I came here to bring you these forms about the festival.' She said, putting a stack of papers on Regina's desk, and then she smirked at her former stepmother in a way that made her uncomfortable, like she knew something she shouldn't. 'But you have to admit, that if I was looking for Emma, this wouldn't be a bad guess.'

'What is it Mom, kinda in the middle of lunch.' Emma said, not taking her eyes off the bowl of chili.

'Well, your father and I were thinking-' she sat down, balancing her smiling son on her lap, and with a broad smile unwarranted by current circumstances, 'we never got a proper honeymoon.'

'Huh?' Emma asked.

'Well, in the Enchanted Forest, when your father and I got married, we were in the middle of the wedding when –' Snow looked to Regina who sat impassively at her desk, even though everyone in the room knew that Snow was referring to the war between them. 'We couldn't get away. And then, we were cursed.' Snow said carefully.

'Ok? So you and Dad want to go on a delayed honeymoon?' Emma said slowly, not understanding why she just couldn't come out and say it.

'Yes.' She said, her eyes shining with the indefatigable love that exuded from her and David whenever they talked about the other. It nearly made Regina lose her lunch. 'Now that everything seems to have calmed down, we feel like we can finally have a chance to.'

'Alright, well that's great.' Emma said to fill the silence, clearly not as enthralled with the trip as her mother.

'You think so?' Snow asked again.

'Yeah, sure, why shouldn't you have a honeymoon, even though it's been like what more than thirty years? And even if you don't couples go on vacations all the time, it's not really a big deal.' Emma shrugged, wondering why her mother was being so weird. It probably was just how excited she was for her true love and spending time together. Emma never did understand how two people could be so sickening when in love, but maybe that's what people were like when they were in love, not like she would really know.

'I'm glad you think so Emma.'

'Ok?' Emma said and took a bite out of her sandwich, waiting for her mother to continue.

'Snow,' Regina sighed, 'we are in the middle of a lunch meeting, you said this had something to do with Emma, so please get to it, we don't have all day.'

'Of course! And while we want to go on a Honeymoon, which you agree that we should go on, there is the matter of… well…' she looked to her son happily bouncing on her knee.

'Snow please.' Regina prompted, wanting the woman to leave her office so that she could continue her lunch with the sheriff in peace. 'If you're just going to come into my office prompting your daughter with half finished sentences, I would prefer if it wasn't during my lunch hour.'

'Neal.' Snow said.

'What about him?' Emma asked.

'People don't usually bring their children on their Honeymoons.' Snow pointed out.

'Well you should have thought about that before you had one, or two, as the case may be.' Regina scoffed, glancing at the Charming's eldest child, who looked more confused than ever.

'If you're worried that I'm gonna want to join you-?' Emma guessed, her face contorted in confusion.

'Emma, no, it's, we – your father and I - were hoping that you might want to spend a little quality time with your brother, bond a little.' She smiled and handed the boy over to his sister.

'Right now? I have work.' Emma said, oblivious to the implication, but took the kid from their mother anyway, placing her bowl on the desk, and then when both other women kept looking at Emma, she got what her mother was trying to ask, what she had come to Regina's office to ask. 'What are you – oh, no, no, I don't think so.'

'You two don't spend very much time together. And it would mean a lot to your father and I, to have this time together that we never got to have when we first got married, before the curse.' She said as she gave a slight sideways glance to Regina.

'Are you serious? You want me to watch Neal while you and Dad go off to – to - where would you even go?' Emma said loudly.

'Puerto Rico.'

'What – you already decided? And you're asking me now?' Neal started to fuss because of Emma's harsh tone and he was promptly given back to his mother.

She shrugged and smiled.

Emma took a breath so her voice would be steady enough not to upset the toddler further, 'Look, I'm sorry that you didn't get to have your honeymoon, but I just don't think it would work for me to watch the kid. At all.'

'You don't want to.' Her face fell. And Emma felt so guilty. It happened every time with Snow. Every time Emma didn't do something that her mother wanted her to do, she looked a little like the world was ending, and the orphan in Emma couldn't take it.

'It's not a matter of wanting to. I just I'm the sheriff and– I've never taken care of a baby like that.'

'You take care of Neal all the time.' Snow pointed out.

Emma closed her eyes and then looked to Regina, wanting some sort of support from her friend that her mother was being unreasonable. The woman just raised her eyebrows as if Emma should have expected this to happen, 'For a few hours, and when you're just a phone call away, not for – how long are you wanting this to be for anyway.'

'One week.'

'A week?! I can't do a week. A weekend, maybe. But, c'mon, you're asking me to what take a week out of my life to take care of the little kid, I can't take a week off work just to watch him, and when David's already gonna be gone? You think the part time deputies can run the station for a week? I'm sorry, that's not possible.' Emma said, noticing her mother frowning, she looked like she was about to cry.

'Well,' Regina spoke up, smiling down at the boy who had been transferred to her lap. 'Why don't you just take him with you to work? I did it with Henry for his entire childhood.' She said it so simply, as if it was obvious that Emma should be able to meet her mother's request.

'No, that's insane' Emma said quickly in response to her mother's hopeful smile at Regina's suggestion. 'You really want me to take a baby, your baby, out on call with me?'

'I guess not. You're right, I just, I was looking so forward to it. Now that everything's calmed down and everyone's getting along and we can go outside the town line, it just seemed like the perfect time.' Snow's eyes were watering, she tilted her head up so that she wouldn't actually cry in Regina's office.

And as Emma was looking at Regina holding Neal while glancing over the files, she got an idea. 'Well, Mom, maybe this can still work out?'

'What do you mean?' she sniffed, dabbing her eyes with the corner of a tissue.

'For that week, I could take shifts during normal working hours, and while I'm at work, Regina can watch him here.'

'What?' the mayor said flatly.

'You did it with Henry every day when he was an infant. I can't imagine you'd have a hard time for five days, when you can just drop him off to me after work on your way home.'

'I – Miss Swan –' Regina was trying to keep her voice level, so she didn't upset the toddler she was holding.

'And you are kind of the reason they didn't go on a Honeymoon the first time, do you really want to be the reason they don't get to this time either?' Emma was smirking at her in that self-satisfied way that Regina hated, where Emma thought she had bested the mayor. 'And come on, he loves you.'

Regina looked between mother and daughter, and then to the sweet little boy on her lap. She really had become fond of him, much more so than she would ever admit to any member of his family. It wouldn't be that difficult, not really. And for whatever reason, Emma was challenging her, and she hated to let Emma win, even now that they were friends and the competition was friendly. There was still something about the woman that Regina didn't ever want to back down from. And then there was how fond she had become of Emma. She hated to think that she probably would have agreed to babysit if she had just asked.

'I suppose that wouldn't be too much of an imposition.' She said quietly, looking at the floor.

'Oh thank you so much Regina! I can't tell you how much this means to me!' Snow got up out of the chair and threw her arms around the woman, and then scooped up her baby. 'Do you hear that, Neal? You get to spend a week with your sister and your auntie Regina.'

'Wouldn't that technically be Grandma Regina?' Emma asked, unable to just be content in her victory.

Snow chuckled and patted her daughter's arm on her way to the door, avoiding the glare that Regina was focusing on the sheriff.

'I will get you the details and dates of the trip this afternoon, right after we book, and thank you both so much for doing this.' She said on her way out.

'You're welcome, Snow.'

'You really surprise me sometimes.'

'Is that so?'

'Yeah, babysitting while working? I mean I know you did it before but still, it's really nice of you.'

'It's just for a few hours, I'm not the one who has to work a full day and then take care of a toddler for a week.' Regina shrugged, not quite comfortable with the direct compliment.

Then it hit Emma, she had just agreed to babysit Neal for a week. Shit.

 **So I know that this chapter was all set up, and I'm sorry! I hope it wasn't too boring and that you'll stay with me. I do have 5/6 more chapters written, I'm just editing and figuring out how to structure them and break them up in a way that makes sense.**

 **That being said, I'm always open to suggestions if there's something you'd like to see in the story at some point. And I love getting feedback, especially since I haven't done this in a while. All I ask is that criticism be constructive.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First I want to say thank you so much to those of you who favorited/followed/ and especially reviewed the first chapter! I love getting feedback and hearing what you all think of the chapter, what you liked/didn't, what you would like to see, ect. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, but feel free to let me know either way. And for those of you who have already reviewed, I'm going to respond later today, unless it was a guest review, of course.**

 **Monday:**

'Gina!' Neal said happily as soon as Emma crossed the threshold, squirming to get out of Emma's hold. His sister put him down so he could run behind her desk and throw his little arms around the woman's legs.

'Good morning!' she smiled wide as she scooped him up and popped him on her lap.

'I work with you.' He said as he leaned in to hug her.

'Looks like I was worried for nothing.' Emma said as she leaned against the door.

'Why would you be worried?' Regina seemed to genuinely wonder, and as Emma looked at the scene in front of her, she began to question it herself and shrugged. 'We'll be just fine won't we?' Regina asked and the child nodded, still leaning into her.

Emma took off the diaper bag and plopped it down beside the mayor's desk. 'Here's his stuff: books, toys, snacks, his favorite blanket, he usually takes a nap around 2, just after lunch.'

'Your mother emailed me his typical schedule, favorite foods, et cetera.'

'Of course she did.' Emma chuckled. 'so you're ok? Is there anything you need?'

'Yes we're fine, and no, I can't think of anything.'

'K, and if you need me – just call.' Emma insisted, still feeling a little guilty about challenging the woman to help. But that guilt was ebbing quickly when she saw how happy the mayor looked with her brother in her lap.

'I'm sure we'll be fine, but I'll keep that in mind.' She agreed easily.

'Would, uh, can I bring you lunch later?' Emma asked, wanting to be helpful. 'I'm going to Granny's.'

'That would be lovely.' The mayor replied as she went back to the documents open on her desk.

Emma nodded, not asking her what the mayor would like because she knew that if Regina wanted something other than her usual, she would have told her. Emma lingered in the doorway, not really wanting to leave but without an actual reason to stay. Regina caught her eye, and Emma held up her hand, 'bye.'

'See you for lunch.' Regina smiled, and then leaned down to the toddler in her lap, 'Say bye to Emma.'

'Bye Emma!' he said loudly, not glancing up from the book he was looking at.

During her morning at the station, which was rather mundane, her mind frequently wandered to how the mayor was doing, though she knew she didn't need to be worried. Of the two of them, Regina had far more experience with young children, but for some reason thinking of that really didn't make Emma think about them less. But when she thought of them, it didn't feel like guilt or worry or anything negative. Emma couldn't quite put her finger on it, but when she walked into her office and saw both of them at Regina's desk, the mayor on her computer and Neal drawing with crayons on a large piece of paper next to it, she could only smile.

'Has he moved from your lap?' Emma asked as she walked in and sat Regina's favorite order from Granny's on the desk.

'Emma!'

'Yes, I had a meeting with Katherine for most of the morning and for a while he sat with her.'

'You had a meeting with Katherine, what about?' Emma asked as she set the rest of the food out. A burger and fries for her and a grilled cheese with fried for Neal.

Regina closed the lid to the smaller container and placed Neal's paper and crayons to the side. 'Is this-' she glanced at the container, '- meant for your growing little brother.'

'What?' Emma shrugged and took a huge bite from her burger, 'It's from the kids menu.'

'Would your mother feed him a lunch of greasy fried food devoid of nutrients?' Emma could tell that Regina was trying not to

'No.' Emma admitted after a moment of thought.

'Exactly, because she knows that growing children need vitamins and nutrients. It's bad enough that your diet puts you on the path to developing heart disease before you're 40.' She added under her breath.

Emma rolled her eyes, barely, 'Well I already got it for him, and one grilled cheese won't kill him.'

'No, it wouldn't, but,' Regina looked at the container, waved her hand, and moved it in front of Neal. He opened the container and started eating, but it wasn't a grilled cheese, it was filled with shredded chicken and sliced green beans. 'I believe this would be a more nutritious meal.'

'Whoa, I didn't know that you can magic food out of nothing-' Emma's eyes were wide as she glanced at the food that her brother was eagerly devouring, easily impressed by magic after years of practicing it. Or at least magic that had to do with food.

'I didn't, this is leftovers from my fridge.' Regina shrugged.

'Is it weird that I think that you just having healthy food just in your fridge at all times is more impressive than poofing it here?'

Regina chuckled.

Most of the lunch was spent in comfortable silence, with Emma trying to figure out the odd feeling she got when she looked at Regina with Neal. The way she helped him wipe his face and hands, and asked him if he liked his food when he emptied his plate before she finished half her salad. And before Emma knew it she was lingering again, knowing her lunch break was over but not yet ready to go back to the station. Not yet. But she did.

The afternoon flew by and she left the station right when her deputy came in to relieve her.

'And how was the rest of your day?'

Regina sighed, 'It was good, took a little while to get him to go down for a nap in a new place, but that's to be expected.' She shrugged.

'Alright, you can call me, you know, if-' Emma reminded eagerly.

'I know, and it was fine.' Regina interrupted, 'Just wanted to mention it in case he takes a while to go to sleep at yours tonight.'

'Oh, guess I'll make sure to run around and tire him out before bedtime.' Emma said, thinking about how she enjoyed running around with the little guy chasing him. Playing Batman was his favorite currently, even though he was too young to see any of the movies.

'Probably a good idea.' Regina agreed, and then there was that comfortable silence that had happened several times already today.

'Alright kid, time to go to Granny's.' Emma said to break the silence.

'You're taking him to Granny's?' Regina asked and Emma could tell that there was more to the question, but she couldn't quite figure it out.

'Yeah? I mean, I know you're great at multitasking, but I don't know that I could manage making dinner while watching this little one. I can barely cook by myself while keeping all the appliances intact.' Emma laughed, remembering the incident with Mary Margaret's toaster.

'Are you going to order him grilled cheese again?' Regina asked, her tone neutral, but Emma knew that wouldn't last.

'There's only one way to find out.'

'Ask him tomorrow?'

'No, I meant you could join us.' And Regina's silence made Emma babble, 'I mean, I'm sure you have plans, it's ok.'

'No I don't actually, I just don't want to interrupt your time with him.' She said quickly, and Emma could tell she meant it, and wasn't using an excuse. So then why was she nervous?

Emma actually laughed, 'we have plenty of time with the two of us, you wouldn't be interrupting.'

'Gina, eat with us.' Neal said, pulling gently at the leg of her pants.

'Alright, just let me finish up in a minute.' She sat back down and checked the forms she had been looking over.

'Sure, I'll text Henry so he can come too.'

'Oh, I forgot to ask you, what were you and Katherine meeting about this morning?' Emma asked at Granny's after Ruby had taken their orders. She had noticed lingering, searching looks from the waitress, but didn't know what was the cause.

'We have had quite the influx of new residents recently, from Camelot and the Land of Untold Stories.' Regina explained

'Yeah, tell me about it, get called out to their settlement in the forest at least once a day.' Emma said shaking her head.

'Exactly.' Regina agreed. 'So she and I were discussing plans to figure out how to help them integrate into the town, make sure we have the facilities and services to accommodate them.'

'Oh, well that – I mean that makes sense.'

'Yes, and hopefully more permanent housing and job training will result in fewer visits from law enforcement too.'

'Well that sounds like quite a project-'

'It's by far the biggest in the town's history.' Regina corrected gently.

'Really?'

'We're talking about drastically expending the town.' Regina elaborated, looking almost intimidated.

'Right.' Emma agreed without really understanding.

'Hey moms, uncle Neal.' Henry said with a chuckle as he sat down. He still got a kick out of having an uncle that was young enough for him to babysit and grandparents who were younger than one of his moms, not that he would ever bring that up to her.

'We ordered for you since you didn't respond to our text asking what you wanted.' Regina said as he reached for a menu.

'Chicken club with mixed veggies.' Emma said as if that were something he wouldn't approve of.

'I like the chicken club and vegetables.' Henry said somewhat confused, and then shook his head, 'how was Neal?'

'An angel.' Regina smiled at him and brushed the soft blond hair back from his face. The young Charming beamed at her praise.

'Is this how she was with you kid?' Emma wondered.

Henry blushed and shrugged, a little embarrassed.

'He reminds me a lot of you when you were his age actually.' Regina said, looking between the two boys. She remembered Henry's wide eyes when he was younger, darker than Neal's, but with the same innocent, sweet expression.

'Really?' Neal asked excitedly. The boy looked up to Henry like a big brother, wanting to be just like him. 'I like Henwy?'

'Yes, you both loved to read with me and to draw and are so well behaved.' She listed, putting her arm around the little boy who had insisted on sitting on her side of the booth.

'Who knew the Evil Queen was such a softie for adorable kids?' Emma teased.

'You did,' Henry smirked, 'as soon as you got here.'

Emma rolled her eyes and Regina looked at the blonde in a knowing superior way that Emma couldn't decipher. But in a moment they were all distracted by Ruby bringing them dinner.

'Well isn't this just the most adorable little family outing.' Ruby grinned, noting Henry's addition to the group. She was expecting a glare from her friend and part time boss, but not how taken aback Regina would be. The wolf smirked as she walked away from the table, thinking about what she had just seen.

The rest of the dinner was pleasant. Emma thought that was the best word to describe it. The food was good, if a little healthier than she would have selected if Regina weren't there. But she did already have a burger for lunch, and it was nice spending time with Regina, Henry and Neal. As she was lying in bed that night before going to sleep with a smile on her face, she felt relieved and a little excited for the rest of the week.

 **Tuesday**

'And how are you today?' Regina asked the little boy who again ran into her office as fast as his slightly unsteady steps could take him, grinning with an enthusiasm almost always seen in children.

'Good.' He said muffled by her legs that he was hugging.

'Ready to spend another exciting day at the mayor's office?' Emma asked, facetiously. Regina tried to give her a look, but she just couldn't glare at the woman when she was grinning from ear to ear that way.

'Would you like to join us for lunch later? I brought lasagna from home.' Regina offered tentatively as she looked at something on her computer.

'Yeah.' Emma agreed. She still hadn't quite figured out these moments that Regina had been having this week. She seemed almost shy around Emma at times. Which was totally out of character. They had never been scared or intimidated by each other, or at least they had never shown it. They were good friends now, but since Emma had come to town, there was no hesitation or fear. But there was something the last few days that Emma couldn't really put her finger on, and she was determined to figure out what it was.

She returned as soon as her lunch break began, poofing directly into the office from the station. Almost immediately she regretted it, as she found the office fuller than she had expected. Mr. Gold and Albert Spencer turned around to stare at her as soon as she materialized and Regina looked to her, slightly embarrassed as well. But that couldn't be, what did Regina have to be embarrassed about?

'I suppose that our time is up.' Gold said as he glanced at his watch, and got up to leave. Spencer followed. 'Miss Swan.' He said in parting.

'Sorry.' Emma said with an apologetic grimace on her face, 'I didn't mean to interrupt.'

'That's quite alright.' Regina waived her hand in dismissal and then twice again, once to bring the lasagna from the office fridge, and another to warm it up.

'Oh, I've been thinking of this all morning.' The sheriff groaned.

'Tough day?'

'Yeah, got called out to the camp again, theft.' Emma said as she dug into her favorite meal.

'That was the subject of our meeting, actually.'

'Really?'

'Mhmm, forming the committee. Having a lawyer and the man who owns the most real estate on it is ideal, even if it is Spencer and Gold. And I'll put in a reminder to tell you when we approve the special budget for the first phase. If there is a higher need for law enforcement, you should have enough deputies and man hours to compensate.' Regina put it into her calendar before she forgot, still in mayor mode.

'Oh, thanks.' Emma said surprised.

'I wanna try.' Neal interrupted, pointing to the lasagna that was in front of the two women, not having touched his food.

'Kid, it's too spicy.' Emma said, and moved Regina's plate farther from his reaching hands.

'I wanna try!' he repeated louder and pouting.

'I said no.' Emma answered.

'Emma!' he whined. 'Gina, please?' he asked the mayor with his best puppy dog eyes.

'You already got your answer dear.' Regina said calmly, that look didn't work on her every time.

'Playing us against each other? That's pretty advanced for a two year old-' Emma mused.

'I don't know about what you'll need and for how long, as far as adding more hours for part-time employees or training new ones, so think about it and then we can meet.' Regina went back to their work related discussion seamlessly.

'Ok, yeah, I'll talk to the deputies we have and see.' Emma said after a moment, amazed that Regina could multitask as well as she did, though she supposed that was another thing that helped the woman do her job as well as she did.

'How's next week? The budget won't be approved until next month, but I'm sure I can get temporary authorization for some amount from the city council members by next week.'

'Yeah, sure I-' Emma responded

She was interrupted by a scream from Neal who had closed his eyes and fists, scrunching his face. And then in an instant, as he opened his eyes, Regina's Tupperware container of lasagna appeared about a foot and half away, right in front of Neal, who looked absolutely delighted and grabbed the fork quickly in his hand to dig in.

'No.' Regina said firmly, moving the plate again and taking the fork out of his hands. 'Emma told you no and you need to listen.'

''m hungry.' He grumbled, pouting with his arms crossed across his chest.

'If you're hungry, you have your lunch to eat, cheese and grapes and milk, which you picked.'

He pouted again and stared at Regina's lunch. 'Want yours.'

'And what did I say about using your magic Neal?' Regina continued, not acknowledging his refusal.

'Only with p'misson.' He said deliberately, rolling his eyes.

'That's right. Your magic is very powerful and makes you special, you need help to use it so that you don't hurt yourself or anyone else.' Regina reminded. 'And it is not something you use when you don't get what you want.'

Emma started giggling, she tried to bite her lower lip but she just couldn't help it.

'And what is so funny?'

'Just that the Evil Queen is lecturing Snow White's son about using magic. He sure takes after me, too.' Emma smirked.

'In what way?' Regina asked.

'He is highly motivated by your cooking and pouts when you don't let him have his way.'

'Hmm, I suppose,' Regina drawled, 'but he is a child, he has to do as I say, you do not.'

'It isn't my fault Your Highness likes to order me around.' Emma said, trying to cover up her blush at the thought of following Regina's instructions. And she did have to admit she followed what Regina said probably more than she did anyone else, if not aloud to the woman, at least to herself, even if she grumbled while doing it.

'And it isn't my fault if you choose to do as I say.' Regina smirked when she noticed Emma's blush deepen. 'Though I do admit I appreciate it.'

'Can I show Emma?' he asked Regina excited, forgetting about the lasagna he had been denied and breaking the tension between the two women.

'You may.' The woman said, and the boy smiled. 'What do I do?'

Regina leaned over and whispered something to the boy.

Neal closed his eyes tight, like just before he poofed the lasagna, and in an instant a book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which was his current favorite that he asked Emma to read every night before bed, appeared right on top of Emma's lasagna. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands, only to see them empty. He pouted, 'aww.'

'You were close kid.' Emma smiled and picked up the book.

'Oh, no, dirty!' Neal exclaimed, and Emma smiled, imagining his concern with cleanliness came from being around Regina so much recently.

'It's alright,' Regina waved her fingers and the specks of tomato sauce vanished. 'Good as new.'

'Didn't work.' Neal said almost inaudibly.

'You did very well, that's very hard.' Regina said, but he still pouted. 'It takes a long time to learn to do magic.'

'It does?' he asked.

'Uh huh, do you know how long it took Emma to learn to magic things to her?' Regina asked with a glint in her eye.

He shook her head.

'She was much older, almost 30.'

'Hey, that's a totally different situation.' Emma said almost defensively.

'I see the adorable pout is genetic.' Regina teased.

'I bet if I had you to tutor me when I was his age I would have learned it before.'

An uncertain look passed over Regina's visage. 'Perhaps.' The woman said quietly. 'And you did stop a car well before then.'

'I did.' She agreed. And Regina smiled, but it wasn't genuine. Emma knew it wasn't the right time to point it out. She had gotten better at reading Regina's moods and emotions. Every once in a while, she would retreat like that, into herself, and put on her politician's mask. Sometimes she needed to talk about it, and sometimes she needed to be left alone, and Emma could tell that this instance was definitely the latter. So she went along for the rest of her lunch break, discussing Neal, her plans to accommodate for Storybrooke's newest residents, and the newest episode of Game of Thrones.

The sheriff returned a little after 5, careful not to poof straight into the office this time. She arrived in front of her secretary's desk and waited for the confused woman to announce her for the first time in years.

'Hey, Bud, ready to go to Granny's?' Emma asked to get his attention from drawing.

'You're going to Granny's again tonight?' Regina asked and Emma knew that it wasn't mocking or condescending.

The sheriff shrugged, still a little self-conscious at her lack of cooking skills. 'Unless I suddenly learn how to cook and pay attention to a baby at the same time. Probly healthier than boxed mac and cheese anyway, which is the best I can do when I'm not watching a kid.'

'You could come over, I'm making a roast.' Regina said softly, not yet looking up from the budget she had been reviewing.

'When did you have time for a roast?' Emma wondered.

'Gina did magic.' Neal said happily, as if he knew a secret.

'Oh she did, did she?' Emma smiled back.

'Uh huh.' He nodded.

'Well I'm certainly not going to turn down your cooking twice in one day. Would you like to go to Gina's house and have some of her magic roast?' Emma asked, already knowing the answer.

The boy nodded and Emma noticed that Regina once again had that weird shy-ish look.

Later that night Emma moaned as she leaned back, having just finished the last bite of her plate. Finding out that Regina's magically prepared roast was just as delicious as the conventional kind.

'Ma.' Henry admonished with a grimace.

'Thank you, Henry.' Regina sighed, glad that she had been able to instill manners in their son.

'I'm not even going to apologize, that was delicious.' Emma tilted her head back. 'I'll do the dishes, I just need to rest for a minute.'

'You want to stay to watch a movie?' Henry asked.

'Movie?' Neal said, sitting up straight in his booster seat.

'Is there even enough time before his bedtime?' Regina asked.

'No, don't wanna go to bed, want to watch a movie with Henwy. Please?' he looked at Regina.

'If it's a short one and Regina doesn't mind poofing us home?' Emma asked hopefully.

'Of course.' She agreed.

'Alright, why don't you two go get started and I'll join you after I finish the dishes.'

Neal jumped up and ran as fast as he could to the living room and Henry followed, smirking at his enthusiasm.

Emma stacked the plates and silverware and Regina got the cups and followed the sheriff into the kitchen, standing beside her as she loaded the dishwasher, knowing how Regina preferred it to be loaded from countless dinners before.

'How are you doing?' Regina asked quietly, and Emma was startled at realizing how close the other woman was to her.

'Fine.' Emma answered, her voice clipped and a touch higher than normal. They had stood this close to each other countless times, why was she feeling nervous tonight? She quickly rationalized that it must be the long day she had, even though she knew that she had felt rather calm before Regina came in.

Regina looked at her for a moment, 'really? I know how it is caring for a child, you know.'

Emma took a breath to calm herself from Regina's proximity, 'it's fine, really. And why are you talking like that?' Emma chuckled, trying to diffuse the tension that she suddenly felt with the woman standing so close to her and talking so softly.

'They don't need to overhear us.'

'They won't.' Emma shrugged and put a little distance between them, but Regina continued to look at the sheriff, and Emma knew that she was waiting for an answer, a real answer.

'It is different, you know, than babysitting him or whatever, but it's really going well so far. It's weird.' Emma put the soap in and started the washer.

'What is?'

'Just,' Emma leaned back against the counter. 'I didn't get to see this part. Not really. I know that I had your memories, but it's different than living it like this. I met Henry when he was already – I mean he was 10 going on 30 it seemed.' And Regina laughed, 'He had better manners than I did. Uh-' Emma held out her finger playfully, 'don't even think about it.'

'Wasn't going to say a word.'

'Sure,' Emma smiled and then sighed, Regina was still smiling. 'Seeing this part is nice too.' Emma said quietly. 'But it's like if I let myself stop and think about it – I – I dunno.' She trailed off, not sure how to describe how she was feeling taking care of Neal.

'It is nice.' Regina agreed and put her hand on Emma's shoulder, not grasping her, just enough pressure to know she was there. 'It's been a while since Henry was this age and it's – nice to see Neal growing up.'

And then Regina was looking at her with that damned unreadable expression in her eyes, open, searching for something. Emma didn't know what it was, but she couldn't help herself from looking into her gaze, trying to figure it out.

'Emma, missing Toy Story!' Neal yelled and brought the women back from their moment.

'We wouldn't want to miss Toy Story.' Regina let her fingers trail down Emma's arm as she turned around, smirking as she went to join the boys. Emma followed her, trying to stop the tingling in her arm set off by Regina's touch.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: First, thank you all so much for reading/following/favoriting (I know that's not really a word)/reviewing! And second, I'm back from summer vacation and started my last year of school ever, finally! Which means updates should be more frequent, since I write as a stress release and there's plenty to be had in grad school. And I love reading your thoughts, reactions, responses, requests, etc. Hope you enjoy :)**

 **Disclaimer: Still own nothing.**

 **Wednesday**

Emma had not been expecting to run into Regina at the planned sites for new housing, but she was easy to spot. She was the only woman among the building materials and the men who were scattered about the site. Not only that, but she remained in her impeccable work attire, a black skirt suit, with a red silk shirt, effortlessly holding Neal against her hip as she walked around in her high heels. Red had always been one of Emma's favorite colors…

'Look at you Madame Mayor, walking amongst us peasants.' Emma called out, drawing the other woman's attention.

'You look pretty comfortable yourself, princess.' Regina looked Emma over, letting her eyes linger longer than she normally would under the guise of her remark. The blonde was in uniform, and it suited her. And if the mayor had an excuse to look at her, she was going to take it.

Emma wrinkled her nose at the correct title, earning a laugh from Neal and a smile from the beautiful woman holding him.

'Did you get called out here?' Regina asked, noticing the cruiser, and looking around as if scanning for an indication of a crime.

Emma shook her head, 'Nah, talking to a few witnesses to a robbery the other night at the camp.'

'Oh.'

'But then I heard a certain mayor was hanging around with an adorable baby at the construction sites.'

'Not a baby!' Neal said indignantly.

'Course not, little bro.' Emma reassured. 'So I thought I'd come by to say hey. And make sure everything's going alright. Do my sheriff duty.'

'Yes, everything's fine.' Regina said, not understanding what Emma was getting at.

'Well, just wanted to stop by and make sure.' Emma reiterated uncomfortably and then continued, 'you know with how uh, with how things have been here. Thought I might patrol a little bit.' Emma glanced at Neal, who was paying close attention to everything she was saying, 'and you know, their experience with your uh other half, just wanted to make sure your visit was going, you know, smoothly.' She didn't want to worry her by divulging the sneers and the tone of the people who had mentioned the mayor's visit.

Regina smiled, finally understanding what the sheriff was struggling to say. 'Thank you sheriff, your concern is appreciated, but I assure you everything is going fine. And if something comes up, I am sure I will be able to keep everything under control. But that hasn't been necessary during my previous visits, and I don't expect it to be today.' She said glancing at Emma's brother.

'K, that's good to hear.' Emma still saw something like apprehension in her friend, and didn't move to leave.

'Would you like a tour?' Regina asked to ease the tension.

'Yeah sure.' She shrugged.

'Emma, Gina said that we're going to see them building houses.' Neal said excitedly, even though there was very little to see, given that ground had been broken only a few days earlier.

'Well, these are going to be apartments over here.' Regina gestured to a mostly empty graded lot, leading her down what would eventually be a street.

'That doesn't look like apartments.' Neal said, looking around at the piles of wood.

'Not yet, it takes a long time and a lot of work to build things.' Regina explained patiently to the young Charming. 'In a few months, if you come back, you won't even recognize it.'

The sight of the mayor, sheriff and a child walking through the construction site was drawing the attention of the workers, who were mostly just standing there with little to do. As Regina was telling her all about the plans for the neighborhood, Emma noticed that the looks directed at the other woman were a little too intense for her comfort. And also that Regina didn't seem to be paying them any attention, she just went on, talking and walking around. But Emma wasn't content to ignore it. She stood up straighter, put her hands on her hips and made an effort to meet the gaze of anyone who was looking a little too harshly at the mayor.

The feeling of a gentle touch on her bicep got her attention, and she saw Regina looking at her, 'everything alright, dear?'

'Yeah.' Emma exhaled, distracted now by the contact between them.

Regina squeezed her arm and then let go, 'come along then.' She said and continued on the tour.

The sheriff's posturing was noticed by Regina, but she didn't say anything directly. The woman did appreciate Emma's obvious concern for her though. Or was she just concerned that her brother might get caught up in some potential animosity with the residents? That was probably it. In any case, she just smiled and continued on the tour, informing the sheriff and her brother of what was going on, describing how the buildings would look once they were finished.

'So I was wondering something last night.' Emma said when she went to Regina's office to get Neal later that day, after work.

'Hi Emma!' Neal greeted loudly when he heard her voice in the doorway.

'Hey little bro!' she smiled back.

'What were you wondering?' Regina glanced up from her desk.

'Why does Neal only practice magic with you?'

'What do you mean?' the mayor put down her glasses and got up from her seat to start packing up Neal's things.

'I mean, I get that my parents don't have magic cuz he could really do some damage with them,' she laughed, thinking of him poofing all over the loft, 'but why not with me?' Emma clarified. It really had been on her mind throughout the day.

'I'm afraid that I'm not following, dear.' Regina tilted her head in the way that Emma refused to admit was completely adorable.

'I have magic too, why do you bind his magic when I pick him up?'

'You don't usually practice magic with him, I didn't think you were familiar with the binding and unbinding spells, and at night, children sometimes have a difficult time being away from their parents and adding magic to that,' she shrugged, not having given the matter any thought. 'I just assumed this would be easier.'

'You're not even looking at me, that's not the reason.' Emma said, not quite mad, but confused.

'It's true.' Regina countered.

'It's not what I asked.' Emma pushed.

'Well, I think you might take this the wrong way.' Regina spoke softly.

'Mhmm.' Emma said and crossed her arms, still more teasing than upset. 'This should be good.'

The mayor sighed before explaining as tactfully as she could. 'You were almost thirty before you knew that magic existed, and it was another year at least before you or anyone realized how powerful your magic truly was. And may I remind you that was when my mother tried to plunge her hand in your chest to crush your heart.' Regina recited the event, but Emma knew that it bothered her still.

'And?' Emma prompted when the woman didn't continue.

'And non-magical toddlers can be a handful as it is.' Regina said quietly, so that Neal's ears wouldn't pick up what they said as he sat on the ground still happily playing with a toy.

'Uh huh.' Emma mumbled, thinking over Regina's response, and the worried look on her face. 'You don't think I could do it do you? Handle him?'

'Of course you can handle a baby. Clearly you have been.' She gestured to Neal, 'But countering someone else's magic – someone who has very little control over it and even less over their own emotions at times and can't be reasoned with – is very different, and something that you just don't have experience with.'

'Well how do you expect me to get experience with it if I never do it?'

'While that is a fair point, I'm not sure what you think should be done differently in this situation.' Regina gestured toward Neal.

'I – I dunno.' Emma trailed off, not having thought of anything before Regina asked her. 'I know that my parents can't handle his magic, but I have magic, and I'm his sister. I should be able to help him right?'

'You are helping him a lot this week.' Regina gently reminded.

'Not magically. That's different. Why shouldn't he be able to have access to his magic when he's with me?'

'Were you not listening, dear? You're not used to it. It's not like with you.' Regina sighed, recognizing that she wasn't really getting anywhere with the blonde, she tried something else. 'Do you remember how difficult it was to get control of your magic at first? Even when I could reason with you and calm you down? You can't do that with a toddler, you can't make him control it himself. You have to be able to counter it.' She hissed quietly, glancing over to where Neal was to make sure he was still fully engrossed in his toy.

'Well maybe I should get used to it.' The blonde mumbled

'What are you saying.' Regina asked directly.

'I think that you shouldn't bind him. Before I take him home I mean.'

Regina opened her mouth and inhaled gently. 'I think I've made it clear that I don't think that's best.'

'You have. But he has magic, the same True Love magic that I do and I want to be able to help him, I want to be there for him.' Emma insisted, and Regina knew that there was more behind her insistence than just her brother's magic, and for that reason that she had to be tactful.

She sighed, 'I know you do-'

'And that includes magic.' Emma cut her off, not upset really, but eager.

Regina looked at Emma for a long time, knowing that it wasn't worth getting into a fight over and remembering how stubborn the blonde tended to be once she set her mind to something.

'Are you sure?' she sighed, knowing the answer already.

Emma nodded. Regina knew that Neal's magic, like Emma's was True Love magic, and wasn't intentionally harmful or destructive, so there was very little risk that something dangerous would happen. But it could sure be chaotic.

'Alright, but call if you need anything.' She added again, as Emma had insisted with her.

'We'll be fine, won't we little bro?' she called to him, and he just smiled back, not knowing what they were even talking about.

'You're welcome to come to dinner again tonight, I know Henry enjoys eating together, spending time with both of us, and the boy who idolizes him.' Regina deflected. Of course she enjoyed their time together just as much, but it was unusual for her to admit it so openly. Especially when they had spent so much time together already that day and the day before.

'Wish we could, but the deputies are coming over, getting input on the expansion and what our needs would be for the station.'

'Hmm. That's too bad.' Regina meant it, but she was also impressed at her initiative and how promptly she had organized the get together. 'So I will see you tomorrow morning, assuming you survive the night intact.' She said only half joking.

'We'll be fine, won't we Neal?' Emma asked and he beamed.

'We'll see.' But Regina was smiling. 'And remember, just call if you need anything. I can get to you like that.' She reminded, snapping her fingers.

Emma rolled her eyes playfully, smiling at the genuine concern in the mayor's voice.

Soon, Emma was gathered in her home with Ruby and Mulan to discuss work over dinner.

'Ruby? Read me a story?' Neal asked, holding a book up to the deputy who was talking with Emma and Mulan.

'Not right now, little man.' Ruby said. 'I have to talk with your sister about boring sheriff stuff.' She made a face.

Neal pouted, 'But-'

'Later, little bro.' Emma said firmly and plopped him back over by his toys, while he was grumbling. 'So,' Emma returned back to her deputies, 'I know we're going to get applications and everything, but if either of you have a feel of who might be a good fit from our new residents, think about it, maybe encourage them to apply, and let me know.'

'There's a few.' Mulan said after a moment. 'A witness to the jewelry theft a few weeks ago, he was a soldier. Seemed honest enough, and concerned about the town's safety, I can see if he'd be interested.'

'Alright,' Emma said, but her attention was soon captivated by a noise from her brother, followed by a poof of yellow smoke over Ruby's lap.

'What?' Ruby said as she picked up the children's book that was suddenly in her lap.

'Neal, I said that Ruby would read with you after our meeting.' Emma said loudly, without getting up.

He made a noise, and Emma set the book aside.

'Anyway, so yeah, spread the word that we're looking to hire. And that if they can't write an application to come to the station to – ' Emma was interrupted again by Neal's magic. Only this time, he had transported himself to Ruby.

'Did you do that?' Ruby asked Emma, shocked at the toddler that was suddenly in her lap.

'No, it was Neal and his magic.' Emma got up and picked up the upset boy from Ruby, carried him to the kitchen, and sat him on a stool. 'And he's not supposed to use it without permission, and especially not to do things I told him not to.' Emma said, setting a timer for the boy's time out. 'Now you stay here until you hear the time run out. And no more magic.' Emma admonished, receiving only a noise in response.

'Em, I didn't know Neal had magic?' Ruby was still shocked.

'Yeah, he practices with Regina, and she binds it when he's with my parents.'

'But Regina's not here so-' Mulan began.

The timer dinged, far too soon for two minutes to have actually passed.

'Ok, time out over.' Neal said cheerfully as he ran back to his toys, his eager and uneven footsteps landing heavy on the kitchen floor.

'I don't think so.' Emma got up and plopped him back down on the stool.

'The timer went!' he whined.

'Because you used magic, which I told you not to.' Emma said slowly and deliberately, trying not to be so frustrated when she had a meeting to run.

'I didn't.' he looked away.

'Neal, don't lie to me, that wasn't two minutes.'

'Yes it was.' He said half-heartedly.

'No, it wasn't. Now you are going to sit here for the whole time, without using magic. Do you understand?' Emma sighed as she reset the timer on the microwave.

'I understand.' He grumbled, arms crossed.

Emma sighed and went back to the conversation she was trying to have with her deputies. Only to be interrupted half way in when all the papers they were looking over – schedules, budget, and speculation on personnel needs suddenly flew up in the air, swirling around above the table, out of reach of the women.

'Woah.' Mulan said, genuinely impressed with the little boy's abilities.

Emma was not as impressed as her guests, however, and restarted the timeout. But he didn't finish that one either. About thirty seconds in, he poofed the stool onto the kitchen table and scurried away, as fast as his short chubby legs would take him. The next time, the microwave itself disappeared, and Neal either wouldn't say where it was, or more likely, didn't know. This prompted a sterner warning from his frustrated big sister.

'I'm going to set a timer on my phone. If you don't finish this time, Ruby and Mulan are going home, without reading a story or playing with you.'

He just glared at her from his stool, so Emma set the timer and walked away.

Not a minute later, Emma noticed a dark cloud materializing over the table where she and her deputies sat. And before they could move, they were engulfed in a dounpour, soaking them to the bone.

'Neal!' Emma yelled, and the cloud disappeared. 'Alright, Storm Jr., say goodbye to Ruby and Mulan.'

'No!' he whined.

'I am so sorry, really, I'll text you to reschedule? Maybe when my parents get back next week?' she chuckled humorlessly.

'Yeah, sure.' Ruby said.

'Do you want – I can poof you both home real quick so you can change out of your clothes?'

They nodded, and Emma did, wondering how she was going to get through the rest of the night.

Later that night Emma heard crying, it was tired and hoarse, she recognized it as attention seeking rather than actual distress, so she didn't move from her bed. But when she heard a crash, she leapt up from her bed and sprinted to Henry's room, where Neal was sleeping for the night. She panicked when she didn't see her brother in the bed. But the crying alerted her to the top of a bookshelf where Neal was sitting and sobbing. Probably startled from the picture frames he had knocked down.

'Hey, bud, what are you doin'?' Emma asked as she reached over and got him down, bringing him in close and holding him tight.

Neal just sobbed in response.

'Aren't you tired?' she asked and felt him shake his head against her tear stained shirt. 'What's wrong, huh?'

'Miss- miss-' he was interrupted by his own sobs which were wracking his small body.

'Tell me,' Emma said, as she rubbed his back.

'Miss Mommy a-a-and Daddy.' He said, pointing at the picture frame next to him

Emma closed her eyes, knowing there was a good chance this would happen sometime during the week. Why did it have to be tonight? When she had insisted to Regina that he be able to use his magic when she was upset.

'I know you do, but you'll see them soon ok?'

'No!' He screamed. 'Now!'

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath, glad that he had only gone as far as the bookshelf when trying to get to their parents.

'Soon, ok? Here, why don't I sit down with you and read a story huh?'

'No, story about Mommy and Daddy.'

Emma smiled at how he loved to be told stories about her family's heroics, he was definitely a Charming 'Alright, how about the time that Mommy and I went to the Enchanted Forest.'

'K.' he yawned and he settled into her side.

'One day Mom and I went to see the Mad Hatter, and he had a magic hat that took us to the Enchanted Forest-'And Emma continued telling the story, leaving out the scarier parts like the fact that the 'Bad Witch' was his beloved Gina's mother who then went on to manipulate the mayor and frame her for murder, and Hook didn't make an appearance at all. It was a sanitized version, where she and Snow made friends with Anton and the ogres were distracted and not killed, with everyone returning to their family in Storybrooke thanks to Regina after missing them so much.

'Emma, stay?' he mumbled when he realized that she stopped talking.

'I'll stay right here until you're asleep, bud.'

And of course she did, falling asleep herself. But her slumber didn't last long.

Across town, Regina lay awake in her bed, concerned about Emma. She knew that the blonde would be alright, but she still had trouble going to sleep. There were several things about the last few days that were puzzling her. Her mind kept wandering back to that morning, when they were walking through the construction site and how protective Emma was of her. The feeling she had gotten, the warmth, whenever she noticed Emma glaring at a worker who looked at her the wrong way. She herself didn't even really notice those looks anymore. And each time, she reminded herself that Emma wasn't protective of her, but of the little boy she had been holding, that was who she had been concerned about. Him. But still, the feeling of warmth and safety that she didn't know quite how to categorize remained as she lay awake in her bed, waiting for sleep that never came.

 **A/N: For those reviewers who liked magical Neal, I hope you enjoyed it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Again, thank you to you all for reading/fave/following and especially reviewing! I love hearing your perspectives/thoughts/reactions/etc! This is the shortest chapter yet, but I think it makes the most sense to break it up this way. I do have the following chapter nearly done and should post it in the next few days. Please see A/N at the end of the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: Still own nothing, still get no profit/gain from this except my own enjoyment and stress relief.**

 **THURSDAY**

Regina could tell something was different when Emma came into her office with Neal the next morning. The woman's face was blank, and there were dark circles under her eyes. It was easy to tell when the sheriff hadn't gotten enough sleep, she was just as obvious as their son. The mayor bit her lip, hoping that Neal's magic wasn't the reason, but she knew that was the most likely explanation.

'Good morning.' She greeted.

'Mmm.' Emma grunted and sloughed the diaper bag off her shoulder and put it near Regina.

'Morning, Gina.' Neal yawned, waddled over to Regina's chair and held up his arms, waiting for the woman to lift him up into her lap. Once the mayor complied, he cuddled into her embrace and closed his eyes.

'Someone is sleepy.' Regina said as she held him close.

'Uh yeah. Cuz someone kept me up half the night.' Emma mumbled.

Neal made a noise muffled by Regina's arm.

'Are you alright?' the mayor asked Emma, gently running her hand over Neal's back.

'I'm fine. He's just not used to being away from my parents for so long, doesn't remember us going to the Underworld, I guess.' Emma replied. And to Regina it looked like Emma was swaying slightly.

'And how was his magic?' Regina didn't want to ask, she knew that Emma wouldn't want to discuss it, but it was the most likely reason.

Neal grumbled some more, but his voice was too muffled to tell what he was saying.

Emma didn't respond and Regina took that as a confirmation of her suspicion. But she wasn't going to pry, she was familiar with how stubborn the woman could be, and being tired certainly wouldn't help.

'I'll be sure not to let him nap too long.' She said instead of discussing the actual issue. And as a way to break the tension that filled the silence.

'Thanks.' Emma sighed.

'Would you like to have lunch later?' Regina asked after noticing Emma lingering in her doorway once Neal was settled.

'I think I'm going to sleep during my break at the station. I already need a nap.' Emma ran her hands through her hair.

'I will see you at the end of the day then?' Regina asked, her voice shorter than usual, which gave Emma pause.

'Uh, yeah, see you later.' Emma agreed and left.

Regina arranged to eat lunch with her sister instead. Zelena brought Robyn and the children enjoyed their play date while the women chatted.

'What's wrong?' Zelena asked once she knew the children were distracted and occupied. Her sister was quieter than usual and she suspected the youngest Charming might be the reason.

'Nothing.' She sniffed, keeping her focus on the two babies, Neal talking excitedly to Robyn, who wasn't talking yet, but was trying to babble back. 'They're adorable together, aren't they?'

'Regina, tell me.' She said, quieter and insistent.

'It's Emma.' Regina admitted.

'Oh, what about the Savior has you upset?' Zelena asked in a tone that gave Regina pause.

'She was in a bad mood this morning.' Regina said, thinking back to her visit with the blonde.

'And that upsets you? Is something going on with her?'

'No, not anything bad, really.' Regina considered the possibility and frowned. If there was something really wrong, Emma wouldn't be able to hide it. Earlier, she had just seemed worn down.

'So you're just upset because she's upset?' the witch asked slowly, with a glint in her eye.

'I am concerned, friends get concerned.' Regina added and looked to see that the children weren't paying attention to them. 'I think that Neal kept her up last night.' She added quietly.

'Oh.'

'Yesterday she insisted that I not bind Neal's magic when she went home with him. I told her why that was a bad idea, but she insisted.' She said quietly.

'So of course you didn't.' Zelena shrugged.

'She gets so determined and stubborn sometimes, and it's just easier to let her figure out how wrong she is on her own rather than trying to convince her.' Regina explained instead of admitting it.

Zelena chuckled. 'Sure.'

'And I'm pretty sure that Neal and his magic kept her up for most of the night.' Regina lowered her voice.

'That makes sense. So is she upset with you?'

'She wasn't her normal self, but she didn't seem upset with me, just determined to pout. And she's napping at the station instead of having lunch with me like she has been every day this week so far.'

'Ah, so that's why you invited me for lunch, your Savior couldn't make it. That would explain the extra meal you just happened to bring with you to work.' Zelena smirked, thinking about her sister and the woman she was such good friends with.

'She's not my anything, and that's not –' Regina started, but then gave up.

'I'm just teasing, I know how special you are to each other, what with being Henry's mothers and all.' Zelena began to think. She had always suspected there was something between the two women, but she didn't know what it was. Now, as Regina fretted in her office over the sheriff's mood, the witch was beginning to get an idea about how deep the connection between the two women was. She just wondered if they knew it themselves.

Regina narrowed her eyes, not liking her sister's tone, but also not really wanting to push what her long-lost sister was getting at.

'So what are you going to do?' the witch asked.

'What do you mean?'

'If she didn't talk about binding little Charming's magic, are you going to once she takes him home?'

'I don't know.' Regina hadn't thought of it, and she certainly hadn't thought to let Emma take Neal home for a second night of sleepless magic control. 'She's being stubborn, but-' she hushed her voice so Neal couldn't hear her across the room, 'we've both taken care of children, alone, you know it's not easy. And after a night of not sleeping - I just wish she had called me last night. I told her to.'

'You know how often she asks for help when the situation isn't life threatening.' Zelena rolled her eyes. Emma's determination had been most irritating when she had first met her in Storybrooke and the sheriff constantly foiled her plan to erase her sister's existence. Even if she were to admit that it all ended up working out for the best, she didn't really consider Emma a friend, and the blonde was herself horrible at disguising her lingering suspicion of the woman.

'Especially when her pride's involved.' Regina agreed.

Just as Regina suspected, Emma looked even more exhausted after working all day, and skipping her lunch to nap. Bags were visible under her eyes, and her hair looked more disheveled than usual. She began to gather Neal's things in silence, while Regina bit her lip.

'I'm sorry, Emma, I should have done the binding spell yesterday when you picked him up.' Regina said quietly just as the woman was about to leave with her brother for the night.

'What?' Emma asked, stopping in the middle of Regina's doorway, with Neal on her hip and turned around. 'You think that's why I'm – that was fine.' She said flippantly.

'It was fine.' Regina repeated not expecting her to be this stubborn. She set her jaw, knowing that Emma was just tired, and possibly hangry if she skipped her lunch to nap. 'So you're not exhausted because you were dealing with his magic all night?'

'He was just missing his-our parents. Just like you said might happen.'

'So that just happened to be on the same night I sent him home with magic?'

'Uh huh.' Emma said shortly, still not looking directly at Regina.

Regina sighed, took a breath and then quietly said, 'I'm trying to apologize.'

'Well you don't need to.' Emma said quickly, 'That wasn't the reason that I – I – '

Regina raised her eyebrows and waited for Emma to admit what she had been thinking all day, that the woman was in a foul mood. 'You what? I thought you were fine.'

'I said that it was fine. I had a little bit of a tough day at work, though.'

'So then why were you looking haggard this morning? Are you sure there was nothing about your night?' Regina asked directly. Why couldn't Emma just admit that she could have used a little help? The mayor didn't have many friends, but she did know that part of friendship was relying on each other when you needed it, and hadn't she proved that she can be trusted to help after all they've been through together?

'Nothing.' Emma said simply.

'Nothing?'

'Uh huh, that's what I said.' She reiterated.

'So you're telling me you aren't upset. And that Neal didn't keep you up because he had his magic.'

'I keep telling you that it went fine.' Emma said through clenched teeth, even though she was trying to keep calm for the sake of not worrying her brother.

'Of course you do.'

'Well what do you want me to say?'

'I just want you to be honest with me.' Regina said, finally looking at Emma to see that she appeared stubborn as ever, with her jaw set and hands on her hips. 'I was trying to say that I should have bound his magic last night, and apologize.'

'Well we're good then, right? I accept your apology and I already was honest with you.' Emma's voice was raised, and Regina was growing tired of trying to be helpful.

'If you say so.'

'Look if you have something to say, why don't you say it?' Emma nearly shouted, drawing the attention of her brother.

'Emma.' Regina hissed, pointedly glancing at Neal who she then saw was watching them.

And looking at his wide eyed expression sobered Emma, calmed her. 'Well I guess we'll go home?'

'See you tomorrow morning.' Regina said, feeling guilty the instant that Emma left through her door for once again not binding the child's magic.

She knew that Emma was stubborn. She knew that once she set her mind to something that there was no use trying to convince her otherwise. And she knew that if she had bound his magic before sending him home, there was a chance that Emma would be even more upset. But perhaps she would have been easier to deal with after a full night's sleep.

As Regina was falling asleep, her mind wandered again to Emma Swan. When their son had asked how things were going with Neal, since she seemed "on edge" when he went to the station after school, Regina said he should ask his other mother. It was bothering her more than it should that Emma wasn't confiding in her. That she didn't really know how Emma was doing, beyond some kind of frustration. The sheriff had never been one to share her feelings freely, though most of the time she was terrible at hiding them anyway. But Regina considered herself a possible exception after all they've been through. Friends are there for each other when needed, she thought, and even if Emma wasn't admitting it or acting like it, she needed her. And Regina was resolved to talk to her about it tomorrow, to get things back to normal, or how they had been going before today.

 **A/N: So I thought this might be a good place to mention (as I have in some replies to reviews) that I intend for this fic to be on the fluffier side. That being said, there will be** ** _some_** **angst. But SQ is the endgame, this started as a piece for Swan Queen Week, and that's where this will end up.**

 **And since I'm on the topic of the big picture, I have a question for you all. This fic is currently rated Teen. I don't write strictly in order, and I'm wondering how you all feel about the possibility of upping the rating to M a little further down the line. I think that the direction I intend to go would make sense either with or without it, I'm very open to your opinions. So if you have one please let me know. And that goes for other opinions and reactions as well, of course :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I know that I take up space before every chapter to say this – but I really do appreciate the response to this fic. I enjoy writing it, and I enjoy even more that there are people who read it.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing and derive no profit from this little stress release. Every recognizable character, detail etc. belongs to ABC and whatever other entities that own them.**

 **Friday**

When Emma dropped Neal off the next day, her eyes were barely open. Her hair was uncombed and down, unusual when she was in uniform, which also looked disheveled. Regina wondered whether the woman had even changed clothes or if that was the same uniform she had been wearing yesterday. Not that it mattered. Not really. She couldn't help but to feel sorry for the woman regardless. The sheriff had bags under her eyes, and almost stumbled around the way Henry did when he didn't get enough rest.

And then Emma transferred the squirming boy to her without so much as a word before she shuffled out the door, leaving before Regina could come up with something to say to her. Regina sat in her office, not for the first time wondering what she should say to her.

'Rubes, I fucked up.' Emma groaned as she approached the counter at Granny's, desperately in need of real coffee before the start of her shift, rather than the instant stuff they kept at the station.

'Yeah looks like it.' Ruby said, pointedly giving her friend a once over.

'Ugh. She didn't even say a word to me.' Emma continued, not even acknowledging Ruby's playful snark.

'Who?'

'Regina.'

'When? This morning?'

'Yeah, just took Neal and went on with whatever she was doing at her desk.'

'Oh, so she just ignored you? What did you say to her?'

'Eh-' Emma trailed off and then looked sheepishly at her friend.

'You didn't say anything either?' Ruby guessed, and paused for an opportunity to correct her that Emma didn't take. 'It's not really fair to be mad at her for doing exactly what you did.'

'Ugh.' Emma moaned into her hands. 'I'm not mad at her.'

'So she's mad at you?' Ruby guessed.

'I don't know, it just got awkward and I want it to be not awkward again. We've been getting along recently, and especially this week, and it's been nice. Really nice.'

'Nice, huh? What are you going to do about it?' Ruby passed her a cup of coffee across the counter.

Emma closed her eyes and took a long sip of the beverage, and sighed. 'I dunno, I was kind of an ass.'

'Well she seemed to appreciate when you brought her lunch, you could try that?'

'Yeah.'

Neal was napping when Emma came in for lunch. And she couldn't help noticing how peaceful he looked.

'Emma.' Regina said when her secretary ushered Emma into her office. Emma couldn't help but notice that she sounded surprised to see her and it stung a little.

'I brought you lunch.' Emma said, and moved, stilted to set the bag on the desk, but didn't sit down.

Regina didn't know what to say, so she remained silent as an awkward silence filled the room.

'Here you go, I'd stay and eat with you but I have to go back to the station to take a nap.'

'You need a nap again today? Emma, you should have just stayed there, you need your rest. It really isn't even safe for you to be working when you're this tired.' Regina said looking genuinely concerned.

'And what am I supposed to do? Call off when there's no deputy Dad to cover for me? Already have all the part time deputies working extra shifts. Sleeps through the night with my parents just fine, but god forbid that someone else be there when he's ready to go to sleep.'

'Emma, you'll wake him.' Regina hissed.

'Like he hasn't been doing that to me two nights in a row. I haven't been able to get more than an hours sleep at a time.' She grumbled, but made sure to lower her voice,

'He can't help missing his parents.' She gently reminded. 'And his magic probably isn't helping either.'

'Yeah, believe me I know. There are a lot of things I know I missed out on with Henry, but I'm glad I didn't have to deal with this, I wouldn't be able to take it. Not if I can't even do it now.'

'Emma!' Regina hissed. She knew the woman was tired. Yes, she was saying upsetting things, but Regina knew how difficult this was for her. 'You don't mean that! It's different for him. You said yourself this isn't what he's normally like. And Henry didn't have magic.'

'Yeah kid just hates me.' She grumbled.

'He doesn't understand why his parents are gone.' She gently corrected, 'and he doesn't know how to express that frustration properly.' Regina added, hoping that the other woman would get the hint. The sleep deprived sheriff remained oblivious. 'Because he's a child. With magic. Go to the station and take your nap.'

Emma could tell that there would be no point in arguing with her, so she left.

'So I made it worse.' Emma admitted to Ruby when she came back into the station from a call. She slumped down on her chair and put her head down on her arms over the desk. 'Now I'm pretty sure she's actually mad at me.'

'And how did you manage to do that?' Ruby tilted her head, more confused than disappointed in her friend.

'I was - just an ass.' Emma said through her arms.

'How were you an ass when you brought her lunch?' Ruby tried not to laugh. She knew that Emma meant well, and that she and Regina had a pretty great friendship after everything they have been through together. But Emma was still Emma, and there had always been something about Regina in particular that seemed to inspire her to put her foot in her mouth, even since they've been getting along.

'I don't know, it's like everything I said, I knew that I shouldn't say it and that I didn't mean it but it came out anyway? And then she kind of kicked me out.' Emma mumbled, still trying to work through what had happened herself.

'Well you need to apologize when you go to pick him up then.'

'I know.' she grumbled, 'I should have just apologized yesterday. She even apologized to me. Regina.' Emma chuckled to herself. 'That never happens.'

'If you can't bring her food without getting kicked out, apologizing might be easier after a nap. Go to sleep, I've got everything under control.' Ruby assured, and Emma knew that she was right and that she could count on her deputy to keep the peace.

'Ems?' the familiar voice of her friend and deputy jolted the sheriff from her nap.

'Huh?' she moaned, fighting to open her eyes to the bright fluorescent lights of the sheriff's office. 'You back already?'

'Already? I'm done with my patrol and got called out, I woke you up before I left so you could go get Charming Jr.'

'Wait what? I don't remember that. And I thought that you were going to-' Emma mumbled and then she looked outside and noticed that it was completely dark. 'Fuck!'

Emma shot up from the chair, her laziness vanishing instantly as soon as she noticed that she should have picked up Neal over two hours ago.

'Bye Rubes! See you later!' Emma yelled behind her as she bolted out the door.

On her way to the car she looked down at her phone, only one text from Regina. Emma's stomach sunk, disappointed that the woman hadn't tried harder to contact her more. She just didn't show up and with no warning or explanation. Shouldn't Regina be worried that something had happened to her? People disappeared and got into trouble all the time in Storybrooke, and she should be more concerned, at least because that would leave Neal in her care for a few days until her parents got back. But nope, one text: "Leaving the office for the day, taking Neal home with me." It had been several hours, and for all Regina knew, Emma could be off captured, hurt or worse. And she only cared enough to send a courtesy text to let her know where her brother would be. She must be more upset than Emma had thought.

When Emma got to the front door of the mansion, she paused. She had gone there as fast as she could, but now that she was here, she suddenly became uncertain. Of course Emma felt guilty for the way she had behaved lately, the woman had done nothing to deserve it. But she didn't exactly know how to deal with her now. Especially after falling asleep in her office for far longer than she had intended.

She couldn't stand there forever, and the longer she stood there, the worse it was going to be. The woman took a deep breath, closed her eyes and knocked.

Moments later the door swung open to reveal an apron wearing Regina and no Neal. As Emma stood before Regina, taking in the appealing image, there was a delicious smell wafting out of the home with a gush of warm air.

'Come in, you're letting the heat out.' Regina said in a matter of fact way that was hard for Emma to read, before going back into the home, trusting Emma to follow. Emma wasted no time following the mayor back to the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

'I'm sorry.' Emma began, which at least got Regina to turn around, 'I didn't mean to be late.'

When the brunette's eyes narrowed and she turned around back to the stove, Emma knew that she had been hoping for a broader apology, and god knows the woman deserved one.

'I didn't mean to fall asleep, well I mean I did, but not for that long. I set an alarm on my phone, asked Ruby to come in to cover. And I know I shouldn't, but I just haven't slept for more than a few hours at a time the last few nights by the time Neal got to sleep and I was going crazy.' Emma rambled on, hoping that she would stumble upon what Regina seemed to be waiting for her to say.

'Hmm.' Regina hummed, or at least Emma thought that she might have heard a noise, but it looked like the woman was still ignoring her.

'I'm sorry,' Emma tried again, 'you already watch him during the day, and I bet you were counting the minutes until I was coming, but at least today was the last day right? I'm so sorry.'

'You said that already.'

'Well I feel like I should probably say it about ten more times.' Emma tried to smile.

'You don't have to apologize for watching him longer than we planned, he was an angel.' That at least seemed sincere. At least Regina didn't seem to be upset about Neal, Emma was figuring out this week just how much of a soft spot the mayor had for her little brother.

'Well he isn't for me.' Emma scoffed. Again no response, and then Emma noticed that she neither saw nor heard the baby Regina was now freed from. 'Where is the little guy anyway?'

'I put him down in Henry's room about five minutes before you got here.'

'Oh, shit, I'm sorry, and crap, now when I go to get him he's gonna be pissed. At least I got a nap while I could.' Emma said humorlessly as she walked past Regina toward the stairs.

'You don't have to.' She had said it so quietly that Emma had almost missed it altogether, since her back was turned.

'Huh?' Emma asked, hoping that she wasn't hearing things.

'He should be down for the night, I had to struggle to keep him awake for as long as I did.'

'Yeah, I don't know about that.' Emma laughed. 'Every time I've even moved my lap, he wakes up, I don't think he could make a trip to my place, going in and out of a car seat without waking up.'

'That's not what I meant.' Regina turned around to look at Emma and paused to breathe, she looked almost nervous? No, that couldn't be. 'You could stay while he's asleep, have dinner, if he wakes up you can take him home to another sleepless night.'

'You sure?'

Regina shook her head. 'I – you have clearly had a trying few days, you probably want to go home and just, never mind, it's fine.'

'No!' Emma said louder than she had intended to, 'I mean I don't want to go home. I'd love to stay and have dinner.'

Then Regina went to the fridge, got a beer and handed it to Emma.

'How did you know this was just what I needed after today?' she sighed.

'When Henry was younger there may have been a few nights when I needed a glass of wine after he went down for the night.' She admitted, leaning a hip against the counter and looking at Emma searchingly, in a way that had the sheriff fidgeting under her gaze.

'Did Henry leave already?' Emma asked, trying to divert the woman's attention

'Yes, he and Nicolas seemed really excited.'

'I'm glad Michael and David include him and are there for him if there's something he doesn't want to talk about with his two moms.' Emma said, earning an odd look from Regina which made her want to change the subject. 'I shouldn't have this if I'm going to be driving him home soon.' Emma pondered.

'I thought that maybe, you can stay the night, if you'd like.' Regina said after taking a delicate sip of wine. 'If he stays asleep.'

'What?' Emma asked, her mouth suddenly dry, despite the sip of beer she had just taken.

'I believe that you have left some of your things in the guest room.' Regina said, the hint of a lopsided smirk appearing.

'I-i-' Emma stuttered, having opened her mouth before deciding what she wanted to say.

'Yes?' Regina said flatly, she really wished sometimes that Emma could express herself less awkwardly. Even if part of her thought it was endearing, it could also be exhausting.

'I was just kinda – not expecting you to want to spend any time with me after…' Emma wasn't yet able to find the words to describe it, 'let alone dinner and hanging out.'

'Oh.' And Regina looked confused, which really confused Emma.

'I uh, I haven't been the best friend to you these last few days. I've been kinda, well, really shitty. And I'm sorry. I thought you were mad at me and I was pretty bitchy for no reason when you're helping me out and you should be mad at me, like pissed, and instead you're inviting me to dinner?'

Regina let the corners of her lips turn up in a smile. 'I'm not mad at you.'

'Really? You should be. I would be if I were you.' Emma admitted. 'I mean at least a little bit.'

'I actually don't think you would.' Regina said after a measured pause. 'Not now anyway. There have been plenty of times when you would have been justified in being upset with me, and you have just forgiven me and moved on. And I'm not angry with you now. Hurt? Maybe a little.' But the way Regina's eyes darted to the ground told Emma that it was more than a little, and she made a mental note to try and make up for it somehow. 'But not mad. I remember how frustrating it can be alone with a small child, so I understand, but it still hurt. Especially when you didn't talk to me.'

'I – it really seemed like you were mad though.' Emma said, thinking back to the single text.

'I was, maybe frustrated for a moment, because while I understand the difficulty of taking care of a child alone, you aren't alone. At least you didn't have to be, not completely. I tell you over and over to call me, text me if you're having an issue or need a hand. And instead you go through not one but two nearly sleepless nights because you're too stubborn to ask for the help I offered. And then you take it out on me.'

'I'm sorry.'

'That's alright. No more nights with a magical baby.' Regina said firmly.

'No.'

'And if you need help with him, you'll call me.' This time Regina wasn't asking.

'I will. It really seemed like you were mad though.' Emma said, unable to let it go.

'Emma, I told you-' she sighed.

'You didn't text me.' Emma interrupted. 'I didn't show up after work, and I mean you weren't worried at all. You just told me where Neal would be, I could have been kidnapped and it seemed like you didn't care.' Emma interrupted.

'You were just fine, sleeping, you said.' She dismissed.

'Yeah, but you didn't know that.'

'I may have had an idea.' She admitted quietly.

'What?'

'Miss Lucas. I know that you asked her to come in a few hours early so you could take a nap. When you didn't come to retrieve Neal at the end of the day, I assumed that you had overslept. You certainly looked like you needed more than a two hour nap.'

'I really did. And I'm sorry. Wait, how did you know I asked Ruby to come in?'

'I may have asked her how you were earlier, after you dropped off Neal this morning. I figured between being your friend, deputy, and source of caffeine she might know more about how you've been lately.'

'You talked to Ruby to see how I was? Even after I was so shitty to you?'

'I still care about you.' Regina snipped with a tone that was betrayed by her words.

Emma smiled at her and the warm feeling that started spreading through her chest when she heard the woman say that she cared about her. 'I'm sorry I was tired and grumpy and took it out on you, and I would love to stay for dinner.' When Regina smiled back, a genuine warm smile, Emma knew that was the apology she had needed to hear. 'I know it's only been a few days, and I have technically seen you several times, but is it weird to say that I missed you?'

'No, I admit I missed you as well.' Regina admitted, and then cleared her throat, 'So you said you had a difficult week?'

'Yeah, the little guy was-'

'I meant with work.' Regina corrected

'Oh yeah… that.' Emma had hoped that Regina had forgotten, or at least that she wouldn't ask about it.

'Did you tell me that just to cover your frustration at your lack of sleep?'

'No, but-' Emma sighed, putting her beer down and ran her hands through her hair. She really didn't want to have to think about this again and especially not with Regina.

'Don't strain yourself, dear, you don't have to talk about it.' Regina said lightly, but Emma appreciated it.

'I uh, it's just-'

'It's fine.' Regina insisted. 'You're off the clock for the week.'

'Before I broke the curse, did you go anywhere?'

'What do you mean?'

'Like traveling – Henry was brought here, did you go travel? The curse gave you the money for it.'

'No, I didn't really think about it I suppose.'

'Well, everyone can leave now that there's no curse. Where would you go?'

Regina stopped chopping the green beans, 'I don't know, maybe Washington DC. Even after living here for so long, your government fascinates me.'

'What a nerd.' Emma smiled, earning a playful glare over Regina's shoulder. 'Anywhere out of the whole world and you pick the place with all the monuments and museums?'

'In the whole world - Italy, maybe. Rome.' Regina said after some thought. 'The history, food, wine, scenery.'

'Rome sounds nice.' Emma said a little breathlessly. 'But no European medieval castles? Don't want to compare with the Enchanted Forest?'

'There are castles in Rome.'

'Oh.'

'What about you? Where would you go?'

'I don't know. After living in Boston, Storybrooke, New York, maybe somewhere tropical would be nice.' Emma mused, and her mind wandered, unbidden to images of a sandy beach, ice cold cocktail in hand, Regina walking toward the cool clear water in a white bikini.

'Like Puerto Rico?' Regina asked, jarring the sheriff from her day dreaming.

'Maybe see how my parents' trip went first.' Emma laughed, glad the woman in her day dreams couldn't see her blush.

'I'm sure it's going well. I'm sure that they're enjoying being just a young couple. No magic or curses.'

'A vacation is sounding better and better. I hope they're using enough sun screen, though, they've only ever been in the Enchanted Forest and Maine.'

'Taking care of Neal is having quite the effect on you.' Regina teased.

'Thailand.' Emma said after a few moments thinking, letting the silence be filled with the increasingly familiar sounds of Regina cooking.

'Hmmm, that sounds nice as well.' Regina agreed.

As both women were finishing their meal spent in pleasant conversation and comfortable silence, Regina asked, 'Why don't you go pick out a movie while I clear up.'

'You want to watch a movie with me?'

'Unless you are tired enough to go to bed already.'

Emma laughed. Of course she was, she was running on too little sleep and just had a large meal and a beer. She could probly lean against a wall and fall asleep until the morning. But she didn't want to. She wanted to stay up and watch a movie with Regina.

Regina didn't know what she was doing with the Savior. When they first met, she tried to run her out of town, smearing her name and framing her for a DUI. Now they were having movie night while her brother that they had been babysitting was sleeping upstairs. Babysitting for Emma's parents who were once her mortal enemies. But even thinking that felt wrong, as they had stopped being anything like that a long time ago. It really felt like the whole lifetime ago that it was. And she liked the way things were now. They had been friends for years, but this felt different somehow from the camaraderie that had developed over the course of their various adventures. There were things about Emma and the way they were together that didn't really fit the mold of "friendship".

Friends weren't elated when one of them ended what seemed to be a happy relationship. She remembered the day clearly. She was working in her office and she got a frantic call, with Emma saying that she couldn't do it anymore and that she needed to end things with him. Even though they were True Loves, she still called it off. And that night and all the other times it had come up since, there was never a clear answer. It was true that Emma wasn't the most forthcoming with her feelings, but when Regina would ask, the woman looked genuinely confused. When people called off engagements there was always a reason. Especially when they were in love. Someone had done something that was unforgivable or at least forgot a birthday. But all she ever said was that it didn't feel right. And that if that was true love, she would never understand anything that Regina or her own parents had ever done with that justification. And she gave different answers to different people. To her parents she was more elaborate and vaguer. But to Regina she was honest, she had realized that he wasn't right for her. And at least she had realized it before marrying the man. But she didn't ever spend too long thinking about her own reaction to the news and what that might mean.

When she made her way into the living room, with a bottle of wine and two glasses, she was surprised to find the sheriff on her couch, with the menu of Star Wars playing.

'Really Miss Swan?'

'I haven't seen them in forever.'

'I don't know that I ever have.' Regina admitted.

'What, seen Star Wars?' Emma scoffed, but then saw Regina's face, 'You own them! And how can you not have seen Star Wars.' Her blonde hair seemed to shimmer in the glow of the fire that she'd started.

'I bought them for Henry.' Regina defended, thinking back to all the times Henry had watched them, she had been working in her study.

Emma stopped and turned to face her, jaw hanging open, and eyes wide. 'So wait you really have never seen them? No way.'

'No, I have not seen them.'

'Well it's about time. You have the baby monitor?'

Regina gestured to the table while she filled the glasses.

'You're going to regret waiting so long to watch them.' Emma insisted as she took a sip.

Regina smiled, sitting on the couch next to Emma. 'Hmm.' She said, trying to seem noncommittal as she snuggled into the blanket that Emma had draped across her lap, shifting closer to the woman she shared it with.

 **SATERDAY**

'Mmmh.' Emma didn't hear the sound so much as she felt it, somewhere near her chest or neck, maybe, she couldn't tell for sure.

'Huh?' Emma responded, confused.

'Mph-mmma.' There it was again, but this time Emma knew that it was coming from her neck. It was a tickling against it and it seemed familiar somehow.

'Huh?' she repeated.

'Y-have to get it. Your turn.' It said next.

'Wha?' Emma mumbled.

'M-ma, baby.'

'Wha? 'S ok, baby.' She said without thinking, it was too early to be thinking, and she was far too comfortable where she was. 'Shhh, baby, 's ok.' She said and tightened her arms around whatever she was grabbing to stop it from moving and waking her up any further.

And then Emma felt gentle laughter, soft puffs of air against her skin. 'Not me, baby, baby baby.' She heard, but Emma felt it snuggling in closer to her even through her denial.

'Baby?' Emma asked.

'Mhmm, told you, the baby.' And then Emma realized that she was lying down and that Regina was on top of her, she felt the comforting weight of the other woman straddling her, their legs intertwined and her arms draped comfortably around her.

'Don't have a baby.' Emma sighed as she pulled the other woman in even closer, and she didn't seem to mind at all.

'Thought you might want to check on your baby, but 'f you want to just sleep the day away, 's fine with me.' Regina said, her voice coming back to her as she adjusted her head against Emma's chest and snuggled in closer, the woman's dark locks tickling Emma's nose.

'Huh? C'mere, we don't have a baby.'

'I hear one.' She protested.

And that's when Emma really realized where she was. Halfway underneath her closest friend who she was having all kinds of unfriendly thoughts about while her little brother babbled happily in Henry's room. Regina must have noticed then too, because Emma felt her stiffen slightly and move away slowly, peeling her body off of Emma's.

'Emma pretending to be asleep doesn't mean I'm going to go get your brother.' She said after a yawn.

Emma opened her eyes to see Regina looming above her, pajamas askew and her eyes barely open, and still leaning against her side. She couldn't help but smile, 'Darn.' She said as she got up to take care of the boy.

 **A/N: And we're back to fluff. Hope you enjoyed it! I love to hear what you think, whether that be reactions, opinions, suggestions on what you would like to see further on, etc.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Again, thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! I love hearing what you guys think. And it looks like those of you who had an opinion said you wouldn't mind bumping the rating up to M in the future. That probably won't happen for a few chapters, but I'm warning you that I will change the rating at least a chapter before I get to anything that earns that rating. Enjoy! Especially the reviewer who requested weekend fluff**

 **Disclaimer: still own none of the characters or other recognizable parts of the show.**

Emma trudged up the stairs to get Neal, feeling rested for the first time in days. Waking up under Regina was worth every bit of frustration she had had over Neal's magic this week. She could almost still smell the gentle floral scent of her shampoo and feel the way the curves of her body pressed into hers.

'Emma you're here! Gina took me home after work and I slept in Henry's room.' He said, lazily playing with some of Henry's old action figures in the bed. It looked like he had probably slept with them, which made Emma smile. He had always looked up to Henry like a big brother.

'Yep.' Emma yawned and pulled back the comforter and scooped the boy up to go downstairs.

'Any chance I could have some coffee?' Emma asked from the doorway, her voice still thick from sleep.

'Of course.' Regina smiled and got her a cup. She couldn't help but notice how alike the siblings were, their eyes squinted and untamed blonde hair jutting out in all directions.

'Can't believe the little guy slept through the night. First full night's sleep I got all week.' Emma shifted Neal onto her hip so that she could grab the mug.

'Hmmm.'

'You just like your auntie Regina more than me don't you.' Emma teased and gently poked Neal in the side to make him giggle, while her brother turned away bashfully.

'Like I've said before, good taste.' Regina muttered.

And as if on cue, the baby reached his arms toward the other woman.

She reached out and was positively beaming, 'good morning little prince,' making the boy smile as he clung to her.

Emma couldn't help looking at her, just staring at her with the baby, making breakfast. She could tell that she'd already brushed her hair, but she hadn't put on make up and was still wearing pajamas. There was something so comforting and alluring about the scene. Especially with the way she had woken up this morning. She still didn't know what to think about that, she didn't want to let herself think about it. But a different question kept nagging at her. When had she even put on pajamas she was wearing?

'Would you like breakfast?' Regina asked, Emma opened her mouth to answer, then realized that the mayor was talking to her brother.

'Yes, please.' He replied.

'Fruit?'

'Bacon?' he countered with a charming, hopeful expression.

'Not today dear.'

'K.' he said, his face falling and then looked at Emma. 'Does Emma get bacon?'

'No, she doesn't.'

'Aww.' The blonde groaned, and Regina couldn't hold back a smile.

'We're all having scrambled eggs and fruit.' She clarified.

'And then we go to office.' He said.

'Today, you get to go with Emma.'

'Oh.' He said.

'Don't sound too excited, kid.' She smiled. 'But we're going to the park.'

'Can Gina come?' he asked hopefully.

'Bud, Gina has other stuff to do, it's her day off.' Emma laughed. 'She can't spend all her time with you.'

'But-' he pouted.

Regina put her hand on Emma's on the counter. She hadn't known what had possessed her to do so, and she didn't want to think about the electricity that shot through her with the contact of their skin. Especially that it wasn't new.

'The weather is supposed to be good today, I'd love to go with you and Emma.'

'You don't have to.'

Regina just gave her a look that said of course she wouldn't have offered if she didn't want to.

As soon as they arrived, Neal noticed Pongo and ran as fast as he could toward his favorite dog. The Dalmatian noticed quickly and bounded toward him, tail wagging and tennis ball in his mouth.

'Thanks for coming with us.' Emma said as she spread out the blanket over the grass. 'Neal seems to have become pretty attached to you this week.'

'It's a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon, picnic in a park, especially what a nice day it is. It would be a shame to stay inside all day.'

'Well then thank you for helping all week, I don't know what I would have done without you. Seriously.'

'You're welcome, I admit that as much as I once loathed your parents, I have become quite partial to their offspring.'

'Yeah?' Emma smiled.

'Who could resist your brother's dimples?' she countered.

And Emma just smirked, knowing that the feature now showed on her face as well.

'He reminds me of Henry.' Regina said softly as she gazed at the boy.

'Yeah?'

'Yes, it's hard to get used to, sometimes.'

'What is?'

'Seeing Neal, he's so young it makes me realize how long it's been since Henry was that age and much he's growing up. If we were in the Enchanted Forest, we would be busy arranging a marriage for him soon.' She said wistfully.

'No way.' The blonde scoffed.

'Indeed, Miss Swan. He's 16, and a prince, twice over.' The older woman reminded her. Occasionally, she wondered what it would have been like to raise Henry in the Enchanted Forest for part of his life, like if they had found a way to go back after the curse broke. Each time her mind drifted to the topic, she felt glad that their adventures had always brought them back here instead of stranding them somewhere else for good.

'Holy shit I feel old.' Emma groaned.

'How do you think I feel.' Regina said. 'I miss this.' She continued softly while looking at Neal, hearing his giggles as he threw Pongo's tennis ball as hard as he could, where Pongo could still bound to it in about two seconds and eagerly bring it back.

'Having a baby?' Emma said louder than she had intended, wondering if she was understanding her friend correctly.

Regina turned to look at her, her brow furrowed, 'yes.'

'The tantrums, sleepless nights, never being alone, you miss that?' Emma smiled to lighten whatever seemed to be settling around the two of them.

'The smiles, laughter.' Regina countered, her voice airier than Emma had heard in quite some time.

'I don't miss it.' Emma said and it was a moment before Regina began to understand the weight in Emma's voice. 'It's nice having time with him like this while David and Mary-Margaret are gone, though.' She said to change the subject slightly before Regina could respond.

'What do you mean?'

'I never did this. I've looked after him for an afternoon before but this is different. And he looks so much like Henry, in the memories that you gave me. It's been great – for the most part – getting to experience something that I never did with him.'

'Oh Emma-'

'And even with the magic, and him missing our parents, I get what you mean. It is really nice.'

'It's the best thing I've done. And it just flew by.'

'Henry's not all grown up yet, he's still in high school.' Emma tried.

'He will be soon.'

'It's not like he's leaving forever once he turns 18.' But even as Emma said that to reassure Regina, she didn't quite believe it. After all, he could leave to go to college.

'I know,' Regina admitted, 'but it's not the same.'

'No, I guess it isn't-'

'Did you ever think of having kids? – other kids, of course.'

'I – honestly, not really.' Emma said, but it didn't feel true once she said it.

Emma was interrupted by a familiar voice, 'What do we have here?' Emma turned around to see Zelena pushing a stroller with her adorable red-haired daughter inside.

'Hello Zelena.' Regina greeted, a little nervous about how her sister would behave in front of Emma given their conversation about the blonde earlier that week.

'Hey Robyn.' Emma smiled at the beautiful baby who was looking at her from her stroller.

'Looks like a quaint little family outing to the park.' Zelena smirked.

Robyn made a noise and leaned toward Regina.

'Does every baby love the Evil Queen?' Emma teased.

'Hi beautiful!' Regina said as she scooped up the baby, ignoring Emma. 'You have such a cute dress on.' She added, getting a giggle out of her niece.

'Who would have thought you and the savior would be playing house with the youngest Charming?' Zelena smirked.

Regina shot her a scathing look out of Emma's view, which only made Zelena smile wider. She had decades of sisterly teasing to make up for. Neal soon noticed the other baby and came toddling back toward them, with Pongo and Archie following behind him.

'Robyn.' He said and hugged the younger girl, almost knocking her over out of Regina's lap.

'Careful bud,' Emma laughed.

'Sorry.'

'They seem to get along quite well.' Zelena remarked.

'Gina, can Robyn do magic like me yet?' Neal asked.

'Zelena?' her sister prompted.

'Charming Jr can do magic?' Zelena asked instead of answering about her daughter.

'Uh huh!' he beamed proudly, 'wanna see?'

'Neal, it's not a good time.' Regina answered.

'Oh, come on, Gina.' Zelena teased, 'I want to see what you've been teaching him , you have been teaching him?'

'Yes, I have. And I suppose it would be alright.' The queen relented after an approving glance from Archie, and waved her hand to unbind his magic. 'Now, Neal, see Pongo's ball?'

'Uh huh.' He picked it up, grabbing the dog's attention.

'You're going to play fetch using your magic. Concentrate on the ball and moving it right under the tree over there-' she pointed about five feet away.

The boy closed his eyes tight in concentration, opening them when the ball disappeared from his hand, 'I did it!' he yelled. But his face fell when he looked by the tree and there was nothing there but grass. 'Where did it go?'

'I don't know.' Regina said, looking around them, to see if his aim had been a little off. The others were looking as well, and Pongo was walking around, searching for his favorite toy.

'Oh no, I lost the ball!' Neal said. 'Pongo can't play anymore!'

'That's alright, Neal, you did very well, it takes a long time to do magic perfectly. Archie, do you still keep Pongo's rope in your office?' Regina asked.

'Yes.' He said, confused as to why it mattered.

Regina waved her hand, and with a puff of purple smoke, the toy appeared to Neal's delight.

'Am I going to be able to do that too?' the boy asked the witch. 'After a long time?'

'Before you know it.' Regina handed it to him. He ran off to play tug of war, falling down when Pongo would give a particularly hard tug, only to laugh, get up and try again.

'It's so cute how much he loves Pongo.' Emma remarked.

'Pongo loves him too.' Archie answered.

After Archie and Pongo had left, Zelena asked, 'Do you think Robyn will have magic?'

'I think there's more than a good chance. You do, I do.' Regina thought it over. 'Cora.' She added quietly, as an afterthought.

'Right.'

'When did Neal start – you know – being magical?' Emma wondered.

'Around the time he started to walk and talk. I assume. That's when your mother spoke to me about it.'

'So she might. Do you – would you mind me teaching her?' Zelena wondered, her eyes staring down at the grass.

'Instead of just binding it?' Regina clarified.

Zelena nodded.

'Well,' Regina thought it over. She remembered first meeting Zelena as the jealous sister she never knew she had. And then how slowly but surely, and with Robyn, she began to change. She wasn't expecting her sister to start planning town events with David and Mary Margaret, but she seemed far from the vindictive witch she had been not too long ago.'Unless you're planning on following in our mother's footsteps and trying to rule the world through manipulating your offspring, I don't see why not.'

Zelena and Emma couldn't help but laugh a little at how calm Regina was about such an emotional topic.

Emma's work phone rang.

'What's up Rubes? … What? … Where? … Ok, uh, I don't … I can't – sorry - I still have Neal-'

Regina put her hand on the woman's arm to get her attention. 'Go.' She said quietly.

Emma put her hand up to cover the receiver, 'Are you sure?'

She nodded.

'I'll be there in less than five.' Emma said standing up and ending the call. 'I'm so sorry, it's – it's ugh I might be a while.' Emma settled on as she was frantically gathering her things. 'I'm sorry, for doing this, again.'

'Call when you're done.' Regina said after her.

'I will!' Emma shouted back without turning around.

Emma didn't bother knocking when she got to the mansion later that evening. She just opened the door and staggered in. It had taken far too long to take Killian and the other instigators into the station, she and Ruby stayed several hours longer than Emma had anticipated booking and interviewing them as well.

'I am so sorry I was gone so long.' Emma sighed, speaking louder than usual, since she didn't see or hear anyone in the front of the house.

'In here, Emma.' Emma could tell she was in the study so she headed over, stopping for a beer in the kitchen along the way.

'He is such a mess. And yeah, ok, I kind of knew that he might be after I broke his heart, but to be so belligerent as he was, wasn't expecting that. He looked like he had been drunk for days.'

'Wouldn't be surprised if you were right sheriff.' Zelena said from the other corner of the room.

'O, Zelena. Hey.' Emma said, surprised to see the woman. 'You're uh here.'

'Yes, I wanted to keep my dear sister company after you ran off.'

'You mean after I got called in to do my job when my parents decided to take a vacation and leave town?' Emma smirked as she took off her jacket and flung it over the back of the couch.

'That's one way to put it.' Zelena conceded.

'If you're hungry, there's a plate in the oven, Neal's been asleep for about an hour.' Regina said knowing that Emma, just like their son, was much more docile when well-fed.

Emma sighed as she turned around, 'Thank you.'

'This is all very domestic, isn't it?' Zelena smirked once Emma had left the room.

'Spending a day at the park with your sister and daughter?' Regina asked.

'No, you and Emma, taking care of a baby, her coming home late from work in uniform, eating a plate of food you saved for her. You two make quite the pair.' Zelena said, keeping her voice calm. Too calm.

'A pair of friends who happen to share a wonderful son and got guilt tripped into babysitting an adorable child for a week?' Regina reminded, and Zelena just knew that some of the snark in the other woman's tone was due to the fact that it wasn't true.

'Not what I meant.' she corrected. 'I mean the coy looks between you, the way you stand too close together and flinch just a bit when your lack of personal space results in contact.'

'Stop it!' Regina hissed, worried that Emma would be coming back and would hear. 'I don't know what you're getting at. But you need to stop before you say something in front of Emma and make things awkward between us.'

'If you're going to deny there's something between the two of you, you might want to avoid acting and sounding like you're divorced lesbian mommies.'

'Z, please.'

'Ok, fine, I promise not to say anything in front of Emma, but you have to know that there is something between you right?' Zelena couldn't resist pushing just a little bit. It was too much, the Savior and the Evil Queen. And she just knew that there was something going on, or that there would be soon.

Regina just rolled her eyes. 'No, there isn't, but I'm tired of arguing with you.'

'You'll see. You appear to both be blind as can be to it, but you'll see. I owe you.'

'What do you mean by that?' Regina asked, nervous about her sister's scheming.

'For giving me a chance, trusting me to raise my daughter without a fuss. If you're too oblivious to what your happy ending could be, I'll help you see.' She winked. 'And now I have better ways of spending my time than plotting revenge, why not help my little sister find the happiness she has been seeking for so long.'

Regina just closed her eyes, 'just - not in front of Emma. Please?'

'Fine.' Zelena rolled her eyes.

'Gina, this is amazing.' Emma said with a mouth full of fajita, not even waiting to sit down before digging in.

'Thank you.' She said as she blushed, trying not to let her feelings for the other woman show in front of her sister.

'So how was your day Zelena?' Emma asked.

'Good, had a lovely day at the park with the kids, Robyn and Neal got along fabulously, and I got to catch up with my sister.'

'Lovely huh?' Emma smirked, looking to Regina to see if there was more to the comment.

'Hmm. Especially when she makes those delicious – what did you call them?'

'Fajitas.' Regina

'Yes, I had never heard of them before. Delightful.'

'Totally.' Emma agreed, still with her mouth full. 'One of my favorites.'

It was then that Robyn started to fuss.

'It is near her bedtime, I should probably be taking her home.'

'Yes.' Regina agreed easily.

'We should do this more often.' Zelena said sincerely, and Regina wanted to roll her eyes, but she didn't.

'Yes, we should.'

'It was good to see you too Emma, for all of five minutes.'

'She seems to be doing really well, feels the same about me though.' The sheriff chuckled.

'She is doing well. Apparently all a villain needs to repent and get started on the path of goodness is an adorable infant to take care of.'

Emma laughed. 'I'm just glad it works.'

'She's still –' Regina began, but didn't know how to finish.

'What?'

'Mischievous.' Regina settled on.

'How so?'

'Nothing.' Regina said, regretting bringing it up at all. How was she supposed to say that her sister was convinced that the savior and the evil queen had something between them?

'You're lying.' Emma said carefully. 'If you don't want to tell me it's fine, as long as it isn't something that I need to be worried about. No plotting to steal another unborn child for petty revenge or anything like that?'

'It isn't.' Regina sighed.

Emma looked at her, 'Ok.'

'Thank you, for not pushing.' Regina said, feeling awkward as soon as the words left her mouth.

'It's not really my business, not that I really know what it's like to have a sibling. But if you want to talk about it, I'm here if you want someone to listen.' Emma shrugged.

'I know.'

'These are seriously amazing, I think I could eat a whole nother plate.' She said as she gathered the remnants of her food into one last bite.

'There are left overs in the fridge.'

Emma got up instantly to refill her plate.

'Would you like to watch Empire Strikes Back?' Regina called from the other room.

Emma didn't know what to say, she was suddenly reminded of the previous night as well as how it ended, with Regina asleep in her arms. And it suddenly felt like the woman wasn't just asking about a movie. She couldn't help but think back to this morning, how they had woken up. And the fact that neither one had mentioned it since.

'I understand if you're tired and need sleep, the guestroom is made up when you're ready.' Regina's voice sounded from behind her, assuming that Emma would stay again, since Neal was already asleep once more.

'No, I'm not tired.' Emma said a little too enthusiastically.

'Alright.'

Emma felt like a teenager being around her crush. Of course this was so much more complicated than that. They weren't two high school kids nervous about a first kiss. They were women, who were friends, shared a son, worked together, and had a complicated history. And Emma had it bad. The attraction wasn't new. It had always been there in one form or another. The whirlwind of adrenaline that was the night they met, when Henry led her to the largest home in town and to the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. But it had always been that, an attraction. Nothing more. And Emma had gotten used to ignoring attraction to men and especially women. It hadn't been hard to ignore when Regina was the Evil Queen, her parents' long time enemy and existential threat to the town. Her reaction to Henry's adoptive mother was still easy to put aside when they both were in serious committed relationships with men seemingly well suited for them. It was still not entirely difficult to convince herself that she was just fine with being just friends with Regina when that's what they had stayed after those relationships had ended.

But this week it _had_ gotten difficult. Emma had seen a glimpse of something that she hadn't allowed herself to want or think of. Not even with Neal. And she didn't want to think of it now. Not when she knew that there was no way that Regina was thinking the same thing, wanting the same thing that she was. They would always share Henry, and as she had said, that would always make them family. But as the week went on, the more it felt right to be family in a different way.

'Are you going to start the movie?' Regina asked, smirking as she finally interrupted Emma's quiet staring off into nothing.

'Yeah, uh yeah, just, sorry, been a long day.' Emma shrugged and grabbed the remote.

'I'm sure.'

'Did you even stay awake to finish Episode 4 last night?' Emma wondered

Emma could see Regina's shoulders tense. 'Most of it.' She said quickly.

As the movie played, Regina seemed to be watching, but Emma couldn't focus, her mind was elsewhere. On how she woke up this morning, and that she didn't remember how they had gone from how they were now, just sitting watching a movie, to asleep in each other's arms. She needed to remember, because she so desperately wanted it to happen again. She couldn't remember feeling more comfortable, or at ease. And she couldn't get over how small Regina had felt when she was holding the woman in her arms. With her high heels, power suits, and that Evil Queen confidence, she seemed much more imposing than her stature would suggest. But this morning, when she was asleep, in pajamas, lying on top of Emma, she felt small. Not fragile really, but smaller than the façade she had presented to the world as the Evil Queen, or even the mayor of Storybrooke.

When the movie ended, neither of them were tired, but it was getting late, past when either of them typically went to sleep.

'I should go to bed.' Regina got up and folded the blanket they used.

'Yeah, uh, yeah.' Emma agreed, not knowing what else to say.

'Don't forget the monitor. You should be able to hear him, but just in case.'

'Right, yeah.' Emma grabbed it and went up the stairs, forgetting to even say good night to the woman before going to the guest room.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, and please note the rating change. It will still be a little bit before these two stubborn women do M-rated things to each other, but just a heads-up that the rating will be earned before then ;) hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: still don't own characters/other recognizable stuff from Once Upon A Time, that belongs to ABC, etc. Also don't own Nintendo/Wii/etc.**

 **SUNDAY**

Regina woke up later than she usually did. She had trouble falling asleep the night before. Waking up alone just didn't compare to the warmth and comfort of Emma's embrace. She couldn't deny it, couldn't rationalize away her feelings. Not after this week, and especially not after that night. She felt something for the Savior. Something that definitely went beyond a mere physical attraction or a crush. The only problem was figuring out how deep this feeling ran, and what she should do about it. The obvious and easiest choice was to do nothing, to continue on as they always had, pretending to ignore the now obvious attraction between them. But even the slightest taste of intimacy with the other woman had left that option untenable. She needed to do something, she just had to figure out what.

About a minute after the bacon began sizzling, Neal wandered into the kitchen, his eyes still almost squished shut.

'Are you making bacon, for me?' he yawned.

'And your sister, yes.' Regina smiled and gave the little boy a hug, which he returned automatically.

'Hey little bro, you woke up before I did.' Emma said from the doorway, her voice also heavy with sleep.

'Mhmm.' He agreed, waiting patiently in a chair for food.

'He could smell his favorite breakfast, just like his sister.' Regina teased.

'Smells so good.' Emma nearly moaned, and the mayor knew that she had made the right choice.

'I thought we could indulge on our last day before your parents come back.'

'When is Henry getting back from camping?' Emma asked as she helped herself to a cup of coffee.

'Sometime this afternoon, there's no reception up there, so we won't know until he's close to coming back into town.'

Somehow, breakfast was extended to watching cartoons for several hours, with Emma and Neal still in their pajamas. They finally changed to eat lunch, at Regina's behest. As she was doing the dishes, the mayor heard giggling coming from the living room, and couldn't resist seeing what her guests were up to.

'You beat me again?!' Emma said, in mock distress, to Neal's laughter.

Regina could see the familiar Wii Bowling game on the screen, and Neal's Mii jumping up and down in victory. 'Out bowled by a toddler, Miss Swan?' Regina teased, and Emma turned back to her.

'This kid's gonna be a pro someday.'

'I beat her four times!' Neal said proudly. 'You wanna play Gina?'

'Maybe after I finish the dishes.' She relented.

'I'll finish for you, you cooked after all, it's only fair.' Emma offered with a smirk and took the dishtowel off Regina's shoulder placing it on her own, 'we'll see if you'll be beaten by a toddler, too.' Emma added too quietly for Neal to hear.

'Emma, I don't-'Regina started but was embarrassed to finish.

The blonde turned around, 'you don't what? Have you not played before?'

She shook her head slightly.

'It's easy, promise. The dishes can wait while I show you for a minute.'

Emma took back the controller and made Regina a Mii that even she would admit bore a decent likeness to her. When she was done, Emma took Regina's hand in her own, tightening the strap on the controller. 'Careful to hold on, if you let go, you could break your TV or something.'

'Neal does just fine.'

'I tied his on.' And Regina looked to see a clumsy but sturdy looking knot around Neal's wrist. 'I can tie yours too if you want.' Emma said simply, but the thoughts that stirred, of Emma tying her to things, were not innocent enough to be thinking around the little boy.

'I'm sure I can manage.' Regina said, after gently clearing her throat.

Emma just smiled as she faced them toward the TV, standing side by side, still holding her hand. 'Now, you just draw back your arm, like if you were really bowling-' Emma drew their arms back, looking at the screen.

'Storybrooke doesn't have a bowling alley.' Regina reminded.

'You've never been bowling?' Emma asked, 'We'll have to go sometime, with Henry too.' And Regina thought she felt Emma squeeze her hand. 'So you just-' Emma looked to the screen, helping her to aim her shot, and release the ball, but Regina was looking at Emma. Thinking of how nice it was to just be at home playing a silly video game instead of off in another realm trying to break a curse or find a way home or a lost friend or relative. But that wasn't all, it was nice being around Emma too. 'See? Easy. I'll go finish the dishes.'

Before Emma finished doing the dishes, the front door opened and Henry came back in. 'Mom? Is Emma here?' his voice sounded out throughout the home.

'Henry!' Neal yelled and ran to greet him. 'How was camping?'

'It was great! You and Emma hanging out with my Mom?'

'Yeah, Gina's playing video games with me and Emma's doing the dishes.'

'What?' Henry laughed. 'I think you have that backwards, little man.'

'No, he's right. And I'm pretty good too, for a beginner.' Regina confirmed. 'What's in the cooler?'

'Caught some fish.' He beamed proudly and showed her.

'We should have those for dinner, how do fish tacos sound?'

'Amazing, I'm dying for homecooked food.' He groaned.

'Henry, do you want to bowl with me?'

'In a minute, gotta put my stuff in my room, why don't you finish the game with my mom?' he suggested.

Later that day, Henry, Neal, Regina and Emma were enjoying their meal in the back yard when Snow and David's car pulled up. Neal noticed instantly and ran around to the front of the house as fast as his chubby little legs would take him.

'Neal! How are you? We missed you so much!' Snow cooed as she scooped her son up and held him tight.

'Missed you too! How was your 'cation?'

'It was good.'

At that point, the belated Honeymooners were close enough for the other three to see them, and that they were pretty badly sun-burned.

'Guess you won't be Snow White again for a while huh?' Emma joked. 'Welcome back! How was the trip?'

'It was wonderful! And thank you, both of you, for helping us with Neal, hope he wasn't too much trouble.' She said hopefully.

'He was just as sweet as Henry was when he was a toddler.' Regina assured.

'Mom.' Henry groaned.

'Good.' Snow laughed.

'Grab a plate, tell us about the trip!' Emma offered.

'If you have enough-' Snow said, looking longingly at the food that she could smell as soon as she pulled into the driveway.

'It was fantastic- the beaches were gorgeous, the food was amazing –' David began.

'How long did it take to get sunburned?' Emma asked, teasing.

'Not until Wednesday, I think.' He laughed. 'The hotel was right on the beach, the weather was perfect the whole week.'

'And there was live music every night.' Snow added.

'Sounds like you had a lovely vacation, I'm glad.' Regina said sincerely.

'We did, and we can't thank you enough, both of you.' David assured him. 'I see the town's still in one piece? I'm sure the criminals of Storybrooke weren't anything you two couldn't handle.'

'Yeah, it was fine.' Emma said, she could wait to brief him on what had been happening until they were back at the station.

'Oh – we have gifts!' Snow remembering. There was a bottle of rum for Emma, she had liked it even after breaking up with the pirate, a beautiful and surprisingly tasteful pair of earrings for Regina, a little stuffed parrot for Neal, and a pocket knife for Henry.

The Charmings stayed for several hours, enjoying the meal and the family they had been away from for a week. But almost as soon as the sun went down, Neal started to get tired, and they went home. Henry went up to his room and Emma helped her clean up without being asked.

'Would you like to have a drink?' Emma held up her bottle of rum.

'I don't drink rum dear.' She sniffed. 'I tried some from Hook's flask one night in Neverland, couldn't get the taste out of my mouth.'

'You don't drink rum? Not even with a can of Coke?'

'Never tried it.' She shrugged.

'You want to? It's pretty good.'

'I only have Diet Coke.'

'Of course you do.' Emma rolled her eyes and smirked. 'That'll do too.' Emma said and fixed two rum and Diet Cokes, keeping Regina's a little more mild.

'This actually isn't bad.' Regina said and took another, longer sip

'Right?' Emma asked.

As the two women enjoyed their drinks, they didn't talk much. The silence was comfortable. Once the fire was dying out, Regina got up to tend to it.

'So I know that I've probably said this about a million times, but I really want to thank you for – everything this week. It was-' Emma bit her lip, wondering how she could put into words everything that she felt. That there was someone who was there for her. Not because they felt guilty, or because there was a person, town, or realm to save. But because they wanted to be. For her. And it didn't hurt that that person happened to also be the most amazing, gorgeous woman Emma knew.

So, she didn't put it into words, she got up out of her chair, walked to Regina, and wrapped her arms around her, probably a bit tighter and bringing her a bit closer than most people would when hugging their friend. But Regina didn't seem to mind. After the moment it took to get over the shock, she exhaled and let herself melt into the blonde's embrace, hugging her back and leaning her head on her shoulder. 'it was everything.'

The words had escaped as a whisper, and for a moment, Regina wasn't even sure that she had heard them at all, but then, she brought her head back and looked at Emma. The softness in her gaze assured Regina that she had indeed heard correctly.

'I think you might be being a little dramatic, dear.' Regina said quietly, trying to relieve the tension she felt as she continued to stand in Emma's arms.

Emma just shook her head lightly with the hint of a smile on her lips, and held her gaze just as firmly as she held her in her arms. This was new. It was different, and it definitely wasn't something that friends did. Regina slowly stroked Emma's cheek with her thumb, and glanced down to her lips. Emma noticed and started leaning ever so slightly forward.

'Hey Moms. I-' Henry said bounding around the corner, his voice shattering whatever moment had settled around his mothers.

Emma tried to pull away, but Regina held on.

'Uh. Ma, we should probably get going soon, school night.' He said, his eyes flickering between the two to see if one of them would give him a hint of what was going on.

'Right.' Emma agreed, and Regina slowly let her arms drift back, still remaining close enough to see the chills that her touch elicited from Emma.

'Have a safe drive home.' Regina said as she bid the two good bye.

'We will.' Emma smiled back. But as she walked down the path in the front yard, Emma didn't feel like she was going home, she felt like she was leaving it.

'Ma is everything ok?' Henry said when they were about halfway to Emma's house.

'Yeah, kid, why do you ask?'

'Well, you and Mom don't really hug. Anyone. And definitely not each other.' He said slowly, hoping that Emma would explain.

'So?' Emma said, maybe a little too defensively. 'We're friends, friends hug.'

'Is there something wrong? With one of you, or the town or something?'

Emma laughed. 'No, nothing like that, don't worry.'

'Ok.' He said, but Emma could tell that he was just letting the matter drop, and not that he was satisfied with the answer. She wouldn't admit it to him, but he was right. It was different. And at that thought, that maybe things were changing between them, Emma felt her heart flutter. She didn't know what Regina was feeling, if she even was feeling anything for her romantically. But it sure felt like there was something there that wasn't there before. Or maybe it was, but she hadn't seen it. And that 'something' could be something other than Regina returning her feelings. She had mentioned that she missed when Henry was a baby, and that she went through it alone. Then the thought of a baby, and Regina, entered into Emma's mind. They would be good co-parents. They already were. But as Emma drove home, she was thinking of more. Of raising a child together not just as co-parents, but as a couple. Fuck. The thought was intriguing, the idea of having a child that was hers and Regina's. Biologically, it wasn't possible, but Emma could still dream. And as she fell asleep that night, she did. Of a child that she could raise from birth, together with Regina, as a family.

Alone at the mansion, Regina lie awake in her bed, thinking of Emma. How safe she felt in the woman's arms. The woman she had once hated and tried to destroy at birth had become the person she trusted most. And then there were the troublesome other feelings that had resurfaced this week. The ones that pointed to wanting something that she knew that she could never have. Being with Emma. Waking up in her arms not the one time accidentally, but every morning, and preferably after a night more intimate than cuddling on her couch. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Henry had not interrupted. She had been so close to kissing Emma, and it seemed like Emma would have let her. Regina wondered if her lips would be soft and how she would kiss, would she be gentle or insistent?

What if Henry hadn't been in the house at all? What if they were alone? Would they have progressed beyond kissing? Had Emma ever even been with a woman? Regina wasn't sure one way or the other, but she wouldn't be surprised if the sheriff had previously dallied with the fairer sex. Regina herself wasn't completely without experience, but she hadn't been with a woman since the Enchanted Forest, before Emma was born.

As Regina fantasized about Emma, her pulse began to quicken, and she felt a familiar heat begin to grow from her center. Now she wouldn't get to sleep without releasing the tension that was slowly building as she thought of the Savior. The sweet, now familiar fragrance of her shampoo, the way she held her, firm and protective but somehow also tender. Regina let her hand wander under her shirt, up her side and over the swell of her breast just to tease, while her other hand dipped just below the waistband of her yoga pants, resting low on her stomach as she gently tweaked her nipple. She wondered what Emma would do if she were here beside her. How she would touch her. Regina closed her eyes and imagined that it was Emma's hands caressing her body instead of her own. She palmed her breast harder, letting her nails dent her soft supple skin as she moved her other hand down to her center. Swiping a finger over her slit to find that she was embarrassingly wet already just thinking about the Savior. And the subtle definition of the muscles on her arms, the way her skinny jeans clung to her ass. What Regina wouldn't give to rip them off her body. She thought back to the day she had seen Emma in a bikini, when they had gone to the beach, and circled her clit lightly, careful not to use too much pressure, not yet. Gradually she built toward release, thinking of Emma, her smile, the way she had always defended and believed in her even when no one else had. She briefly wondered if Emma was the type to use a strap-on. And the thought of Emma penetrating her made her bring her other hand down to her entrance, a single finger tracing around her opening and then dipping inside slowly, going just a little deeper each thrust. Soon the gentle rubbing of her clit and her one finger weren't enough, so she added another, and then another, while rubbing harder and faster until she screamed out the sheriff's name as she reached her peak, the tension and frustration leaving her body as the waves of her orgasm washed over her.

Even when the aftershocks were still reverberating through her body, she began to feel calmer, relaxed. As Regina fell asleep, she couldn't resist continuing the fantasy of being with the Savior. She thought of what her life might be like if she and Emma were a couple. Living in the mansion together, with Henry. Maybe with another child or two as well. She knew it was impossible. But she let herself think of it for a little bit, at least tonight. And before she drifted off, Regina was thinking about a little girl, a beautiful baby with dark curly hair, and Emma's bright green eyes.

 **A/N: Hope you liked the chapter, or at least that it wasn't too terrible to read, I haven't written anything on the more explicit side in a while and am trying to ease back into it. That being said, I always love hearing what readers think, if you feel like leaving a review. And if you do, please consider leaving it when you're logged in so I can respond :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Again, thank you for reading, following, favoriting and especially reviewing! I honestly hadn't intended this fic to be as much of a slow-burn as it's turned into, and I really do appreciate your patience!**

 **Disclaimer: Still own nothing, all characters belong to Disney/ABC, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun and (hopefully) the reader's enjoyment.**

Several weeks later…

Regina found herself nervous without reason. That had been happening recently when she was around the sheriff. She and Emma had held countless meetings before, as mayor and sheriff, and she hadn't felt any apprehension until today. But that had been the case whenever she had seen her the last month or so. She hadn't been able to get the beautiful sheriff out of her mind. It had just felt so easy and comfortable taking care of Neal together. Going back to her regular routine, something felt missing, incomplete. She had come to miss seeing the blonde several times a day, which was ridiculous, because between work, and Henry they saw each other quite frequently. And they texted throughout the day as well. But it wasn't the same, and it was no longer enough. Regina just didn't know what to do about it. How could she tell Emma how she felt? She wasn't blind, she knew that the sheriff was at least attracted to her. She had occasionally caught her eyes lingering, and Emma had always inserted herself into her personal space when it wasn't necessary, and there was this way that she sometimes looked at her…

There was a knock on her door, and it opened before she could answer.

'Hey, thought I could bring you some lunch before our meeting.' Emma smiled as she came into the office and sat slouched against one side of Regina's couch.

'That sounds lovely, I'll just finish up this email and join you. How was your day?'

'Great, I slept in til 10.' She smirked.

'Don't you have to work?'

'Nah, don't have a shift today. It was nice, though, getting to sleep in, since Henry's with you this week. It was nice with Neal too, don't get me wrong. I know, I can't go back in time, well - not again' Emma laughed, 'but it was nice to be able to see what it's like with a little kid, for a bit, even if it means not sleeping in til 10.'

'Hmm.' Regina agreed, not trusting herself to say anymore. She changed the subject instead. 'So, you have a final budget request?'

'Yeah,' Emma put down her grilled cheese and handed over a packet.

'Looks like you've been quite thorough.'

'It is the biggest task for the sheriff since I've been here.'

'True, magical crises aside, of course.' Regina conceded.

'Right.' Emma laughed and went back to eating her sandwich as Regina looked over the packet. She tried not to stare, but she did want to know what the woman thought of it. The truth was that it was a significant project and she wanted to show Regina that she was up to the task. That and there was this sudden, inexplicable desire to impress the woman that hadn't been there previously. 'So, yeah, just uh, let me know what you think.'

'The substance of your requests looks similar to the rough draft that you sent me a few days ago.' Regina said in a matter-of-fact way which Emma couldn't tell whether it was a positive or negative assessment.

'It's pretty much the same, but there's a request to change one more of the part time deputies to a full time position, I want to hire Dorothy on full time, and Ruby's going back to manage Granny's full time. And I want to allow 10 extra man hours a week for patrolling in the settlement and around the construction on weekend nights, since that's when and where a lot of the newer calls have been coming in.'

'That's all that's changed?'

'Yep.'

'That seems reasonable, I'll read over it again before I sign off and submit it to the town council, but otherwise, I don't see anything we really need to discuss.' Regina decided and set the report down to join Emma on the couch for lunch, which was a thoughtful gesture.

'Really?' Emma asked, not used to just getting what she asked for as the sheriff.

'Would you prefer that I fight you on this?' she smirked.

'Well, no-' Emma instantly denied, but it was thoroughly unconvincing.

'Feeling a little nostalgic for when we first met?' Regina teased, unaware of how close she was to being right.

'Yeah right.' Emma scoffed, though she did admit that thinking back to the days of yelling and getting in each other's face without regard for personal space did bring a flush to her cheeks. She just turned away and continued to eat, hoping that Regina didn't notice, and tried to think of something other than Regina backing her up against one of the walls in her office, or maybe pinning her to the desk...

But the sudden rosy tint did catch the mayor's eye. How could it not, it was very becoming. And Regina couldn't help but wonder what it was that got the blonde hot and bothered.

'In any case, your request should be approved by next week, so if you want to get a head start on the hiring process, you could.'

'The interviews start this afternoon.' Emma said, having to control her voice. 'I should have a list of potential new deputies a few days after the funding is approved.'

'Oh.' Regina had to admit that she was pleased with Emma's initiative. The woman had always been an effective sheriff, but her compliance with the formalities and administrative aspect of the position seemed lackadaisical at times. She was glad this appeared to be changing. 'Dorothy should be a good fit, so long as you can keep her from hunting my sister. Unless she deserves it.'

Emma chuckled, knowing how likely it was that Zelena would go looking for real trouble with little Robyn to take care of.

Unfortunately, the interviews had been a mixed bag. Few of the applicants seemed trustworthy, and most of those who were couldn't read or write, which posed a substantial hurdle to completing the paperwork they would be required to do. She kept putting off hiring, going back and forth on who would make the cut, making lists, and then altering them to the point they were useless and she'd have to start again once more.

As she was thinking over what to do, Snow texted her asking if she would be there at Henry's soccer game that evening. Crap, she had no idea tonight was his first game. Of course Regina would remember, she probably had the whole schedule memorized and in her calendar. But between Henry's forgetfulness and her own, Emma had no idea. Thankfully her schedule allowed her to go straight after work to catch most of the game.

Just as she suspected, Regina was already there, with Snow and Charming. God, Regina looked beautiful, her hair blowing gently in the wind, and her cheeks were tinged pink from the slight chill of the fall air. Emma stood there looking at her until the Mayor noticed her and caught her gaze, snapping Emma back to reality. She climbed up into the stands to join her family who scooted over to make room for her.

'Hi.' Regina said, barely audible over the crowd around them.

'Hey.' Emma responded, sitting against Regina on the cold metal bleacher, even though there was enough room that she didn't have to sit so close.

'Emma! You're here to watch Henry too?' Neal asked from Regina's lap. Emma hadn't really noticed her brother, who looked like an adorable little marshmallow all bundled up in winter clothes to keep warm.

'Yeah bud. You look nice and cozy.'

'Mom said I'll get cold.' He yelled over the noise of the crowd.

'She's right.'

'You don't even have gloves. Won't you get cold?'

Emma shook her head and poofed her gloves that she keeps in the glove compartment of the cruiser.

'Hey that's cheating!' he playfully accused, pointing his little gloved finger at his sister.

'Nope, that's why it's important to have control over your magic little bro.' she said more smugly than her magical skills would warrant.

Emma saw Regina raise her eyebrows, but the woman didn't say anything.

'Emma we're glad you could make it.' Snow said. 'It's so exciting that Henry's on a team this year!' Snow yelled.

'Yeah.' She agreed, 'Do you have his schedule? I think he forgot to give one to me.' Emma asked Regina.

'I don't doubt it, I had to remind him to give it to me, here I'll send it to you.' Regina said as she pulled out her phone.

'How's he been doing so far?' Emma asked, finding Henry on the field, he was a defender, and he was running alongside a rather tall athletic looking boy, but Henry seemed to be keeping up fine.

'He's been doing well, twice he's taken the ball away and got it back to his team, and no one's got past him completely.' She recalled. 'I don't think I've seen him play before, he really does look good for a beginner.'

'Good.'

As the game went on, Emma started to notice other parents of the opposing team looking at the two of them. At Regina specifically. The way they had been that day at the construction site.

'Don't pay them any attention, dear.' Regina said quietly once she noticed Emma's staring.

'I don't like the way they're gawking at you.' Emma said, continuing to scan the crowd, making a note of who was giving looks that she didn't appreciate.

She shrugged. 'What would you do about it? They're not breaking the law, and if they decide to do something stupid, I couldn't be in safer hands.'

'I guess, it's like you don't even notice. Does this happen all the time?'

'With the new residents? More often than not, though I suspect it will die down as they see me being not the vengeful Evil Queen, but the small-town mayor with her family. And as they get used to living here as well. That's more or less what happened before.'

'Fine.' Emma relented and directed her attention back to the game.

'Oh no!' Neal yelled as Henry slipped and took a tumble on the field. Emma noticed Regina tense as well, tightening her grip on the toddler. 'Is Henry ok?'

'Yeah, look, he's getting right back up.' Emma pointed at Henry, who did look to be fine, he stood right back up and sprinted to catch up with the attacker he was covering.

'Is he hurt?' Neal asked, looking very concerned for the teenager.

'Nah, look he's already running around like nothing. If he was hurt he'd go back to the sidelines and sit out for a bit.'

'Oh, ok.' He said and went back to cheering Henry while Regina was still carefully scrutinizing their son.

'You don't see him limping a little, favoring his left leg?' Regina asked later, pointing to Henry.

Emma smiled at her concern, she had always been very protective over their son, it was everything Emma had wanted for him. 'I don't see it, looks like he's running fine to me. But we could ask him after the game.'

But by the time the game was over, Regina had forgotten.

'Hey Moms, is it ok if I go to Granny's with the team?' he asked, standing with a small group of teammates.

The two women looked at each other, communicating silently in a way that seemed natural and seemed to agree. 'Sure kid, why not?'

'Cool.' He said and went back to talk with his friends.

'I guess it would be embarrassing if his mom also went to eat at Granny's when he's there with his friends, right?' Emma thought aloud, and saw that Regina was giving her a look that said "do you even need to ask?", 'Boxed mac and cheese it is.' Emma said under her breath.

'There are other restaurants in town, dear.'

'Yeah, I guess.' Emma shrugged, her diet consisted mainly of Granny's, food a child could prepare, and when she was lucky, Regina's cooking.

'You have been to other restaurants, haven't you?'

'Well, yeah I went to Lumiere's that one time with Hook.' Emma recalled.

'What about the pizza place?'

'I get delivery sometimes, and are you really suggesting I eat pizza right now?' Emma smirked, for all the times Regina chided her about her eating habits, suggesting junk food had to be a first.

'That Italian place is pretty good.' Regina said instead.

'Oh Italian does sound good right now. Wanna join me?' Emma asked.

'For dinner?' Regina asked, and Emma wondered what other option there could be.

'Yeah, I'm not going to go to a restaurant by myself.' Emma said, but as Regina hesitated, Emma began to get nervous and reconsider. 'I mean, it's fine if you have other stuff to do, or plans or whatever.'

'No, I'd like to go, with you.' Regina said, her voice stilted and lacking the poise with which she usually spoke.

'Meet you there?'

Regina nodded.

Emma had never been inside the restaurant, though she had passed by it several times. It was dimly lit, with candles on every table and definitely felt like somewhere you'd take someone on a date. Which technically this wasn't. As much as Emma might wish that were different, this was two friends enjoying a meal alone, on a Friday night, after watching their son play soccer, while he went to hang out with his friends for the night. It even sounded like a date. Things had been changing slowly between them and Emma couldn't help but be a little optimistic that maybe some time they would be going on a date. If she could ever get up the courage to actually ask, or do something about it other than awkwardly invite her to eat at a restaurant she suggested.

'Can I ask your opinion on something?' Regina broke the comfortable silence that had settled around them since they entered.

'Yeah, of course.' Emma put down her menu.

'The other day, Zelena told me that Gold offered her a job as the property manager of the large new apartment complex he's building. She'd move into a unit there, closer to town, have a job, put Robyn in daycare.'

'That's great.' Emma smiled, relieved that the something was as simple as her sister.

'You think so?' Regina wondered, sounding unsure.

'Don't you?'

'Do you think that perhaps it's too soon?'

'What do you mean, too soon? For what?'

'For the Wicked Witch to be trusted.' She said softly, the atmosphere felt intimate, but they were still in public, where they could possibly be overheard.

'Do you trust her?' Emma asked, knowing that the women spent a fair amount of time together.

'Yes, but I'm not – I wanted the opinion of someone who hasn't had to earn their way back into the good graces of the town. And she kidnapped your little brother. If you trust her, I figure she's fine.'

'Oh, well, I don't know, that was a long time ago, she seems to be doing well. Especially with Robyn, raising a child alone. And isn't that what we want for villains or criminals or whatever? To find motivation to improve themselves and a way to reintegrate themselves into society?'

'When you put it that way.'

'I mean, I don't think my mom is going to be arranging playdates for Robyn and Neal anytime soon, but she seems to be doing ok. Is there a particular reason you're concerned?' Emma was curious why Regina had brought it up at all. Of all the problems Storybrooke has faced, Zelena finding gainful employment seemed to be a non-issue.

Regina sighed, 'not really. She's my sister, even though we had a rocky start, and then with Robin, I just want her to have another chance, like I got. And I want to help her, but I'm kind of new at being a sister and sometimes I don't really know how to help. She comes into town to see me, but I know how difficult it is to live in a town where people stare, yell, don't trust you no matter what you do. I don't want her to have to go through that. I'm used to it, but…'

Emma saw the rare vulnerability for what it was and let silence settle over them for a moment. And seeing what she thought could be tears gathering in the corners of Regina's beautiful eyes, Emma dared to place her hand gently on Regina's, for support. 'People seemed pretty ok with her at the park, right?' Emma remembered. 'I think she'll be fine. She's strong, and she has you, too.'

Regina nodded and kept looking into Emma's eyes, turning her hand around so that she could gently grasp Emma's back. She couldn't help but notice how soft Emma's skin was. Their hands stayed clasped on the table through lighter conversation: about Henry and how glad they both are that he has friends and is doing well in school, how Robyn said her first word the other day, and of course their own lives as well. When the food came, Emma reluctantly withdrew her hand, wishing that it was possible to eat chicken parm with only one.

'I know we're not at work, but how is your project going?' Regina wondered.

'It's just exhausting, and it never ends.' Emma laughed humorlessly.

'It will slow down.' She reminded, noting the sudden dreariness that now clouded Emma's expression.

'It doesn't feel like it. Between hiring and all the new calls we're getting – it just feels like, it's just really overwhelming.' Emma said and looked away.

Regina bit her lip and reached across the table to take Emma's hand again and squeezed to get her attention, 'it won't last. Soon, you'll have new trailed deputies and you'll go back to being – less overwhelmed. But until then you have to take care of yourself. You shouldn't go on like this, running yourself ragged. You don't deserve that.'

'I take care of myself.' Emma protested, but her voice sounded hollow and unconvincing even to her own ears.

Regina tilted her head down, 'As long as I've known you, your priority has been to make sure everyone else is taken care of. When you got here, you turned your life upside down to find everyone their happy endings and to be there for a boy that didn't know you for ten years.'

'I'm the Savior.' Emma reminded, but both of them knew it went a little deeper than that.

'And how much saving do you think you can do if you're constantly overwhelmed?' Regina said, wanting to lighten her mood rather than probe into deeper psychological issues. 'You trust your deputies? That they can do their job?'

'Of course.' Emma sounded almost indignant, one of them was her father, how could she not trust him?

'Then delegate a little. Not everything, but enough that you can go to your son's soccer game and eat dinner without feeling the weight of Storybrooke's safety on your shoulders.' Regina said gently, slowly running her thumb against Emma's hand.

Emma gave her a genuine smile. 'You're right.'

'I usually am, dear.' She said dismissively. 'And isn't it nice, being out to dinner instead of at the station? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to do this more often instead of working late nights all the time?' Regina didn't want to go into it, but Henry had mentioned that Emma had been coming home late recently, sometimes not after he went to bed, and that she would always look exhausted every morning still. At first, Regina had been upset, assuming that Emma was dating someone, not that she had any right to be upset about Emma dating someone, but Henry assured her that it was work related.

'Thanks.' She said quietly after a moment, grateful that there was someone who understood her without judging her or putting her on a pedestal, and what she needed.

This was what she had been missing. She thought back to the date with Hook that she had mentioned to Regina earlier. The evening had been pleasant enough, but nothing more. The food was good, and he was nice to talk to, but she wasn't hanging onto every moment the way she was now, wishing that the night wouldn't end. She never felt the way around Killian that she does with Regina. And there wasn't that spark when they touched, either, that only happened with Regina. She had always assumed it was due to their magic, but now she wasn't sure.

'This was nice.' Emma said, standing between their two cars in the lot.

'It was.' Regina smiled, not moving toward her car.

'You were right.' Emma added hastily, not content to let the evening end just yet.

'About?'

'That I should eat at places other than Granny's. Get some variety in my life, or at least my diet.' She rambled.

'Hmm.' Regina agreed.

Emma couldn't help but think that if this had been a date, this is where she would kiss her. The kind of kiss which would be chaste enough for a public parking lot, but passionate enough to hold the promise of something more. But it wasn't a date, Emma reminded herself. They had held hands, but that didn't mean Regina wanted her to kiss her. Even if they both felt the same way, it was too soon for that, wasn't it? But why was Regina still standing in the parking lot instead of going home? Before Emma could decide, Regina beat her to it.

'I should get going.' Regina said quietly, after lingering started to feel awkward. 'It's getting late.'

'Yeah, me too.' Emma said immediately, not knowing any other reason for them to keep standing there, even though Emma wasn't ready yet to leave.

'Thank you, for inviting me.'

'Yeah, uh, thank you for accepting.' Emma said unevenly and internally cringed. 'We should maybe do this again sometime.' Emma sounded unsure, 'you know, now that I'll be making more time for myself and everything.' She added, unable to stop her nervous rambling.

Regina just nodded, smiled, and got into her car. Emma did the same, but she waited before driving off. She needed a moment. This was the first quality time she had spent with Regina alone since they took care of Neal. All Emma could think about was that it hadn't been enough. It hadn't been a date, but she couldn't remember a date that had left her feeling like this either. Emma decided then and there that she couldn't let this go. She couldn't go on being friends with Regina without knowing if they could have something more.

When she arrived home that evening Regina noticed a folded piece of parchment carefully balanced on her lamppost. She picked it up and read it as she walked into her home, taking off her jacket and shoes on her way to her study. Once there she opened a drawer and placed the letter under the others.

 **A/N: I can't help myself, I love a little bit of mystery. As this fic goes forward into the next part of the story, I would like to keep it on the fluffier side, as it was in the first part with them watching Neal, but at this point, the story/plot is further along and more developed than the fluff. So any suggestions (either via review or PM) for fluff that you have or would like to see would be especially appreciated, and would help me put out updates sooner :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: All mistakes and errors are my own, since this is unbeta'd. And as always, thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing.**

 **Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, etc. They belong to ABC/Disney/the show's creators and I get only my own enjoyment from borrowing them.**

Emma sat at her desk, filling out paperwork that seemed endless. Just the same damn thing over and over. There were two stacks on her desk at least six inches high, more than she had ever remembered before. Why was there so much? And why was she even doing it right now? It was dark and she was the only one in the station, but she should be at home, she wasn't scheduled for the night shift this week.

She heard the door open, which was unexpected. It was the middle of the night and no one else was scheduled to come in for a while. Mulan was supposed to be out on patrol and wasn't due back for two hours. After the door closed, she heard tapping too sharp to be the heavy duty boots worn by all the deputies, no these were high heels, the sound gradually getting louder as someone was drawing closer, and if Emma was right they sounded just like-

'Regina. Wha-what are you doing here?' Emma asked, embarrassed that it took such an effort to speak to the other woman.

'I just came by to see you.' She shrugged and took off her jacket, folding it and placing it over a chair.

'In the middle of the night?'

'I thought you might enjoy some company sitting all alone at your desk-' Regina walked closer and glanced at said desk to see what she was working on, 'doing paperwork? Looks boring.'

'It is boring.' Emma agreed and Regina smirked, leaning her hip against the desk, almost sitting on it.

'Would you like some company, Emma? So that you don't feel as lonely here all by yourself? Can't have the sheriff falling asleep on the job.' Regina asked, but her voice was different, it was lower, breathier than Emma had ever heard it before and damn if hearing her this way wasn't doing things to her.

'Yeah, sure.' Emma replied and looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since she came in. She was wearing a pair of fuck-me heels, as Emma suspected. But as her gaze travelled upward, she saw a skirt shorter than she had ever seen on Regina, or probably anyone else for that matter. It was black, and tight, with a deep red silk shirt tucked in that was unbuttoned nearly halfway, fully showing the inside curves of the mayor's breasts.

'Like what you see?' she teased, and finally looked at her face to seek a lopsided smirk on dark scarlet lips.

'Uh – Regina – I –' Emma stammered, she didn't know what to say. Of course she liked what she saw, she always liked looking at Regina, and especially like this. There was something about her looking so professional and put together that made Emma want to thoroughly dishevel her ana make her come undone.

'Shhh.'

'But-'

'Shhh.' Regina said louder and brought her index finger gently across Emma's lips. 'I told you to be quiet.' She said her voice gentler than Emma had ever heard her speak to her. 'You won't enjoy what happens when you disobey me, Emma.'

Emma's eyes widened, and of course Regina noticed.

'Or maybe you will.' She teased and stepped back from the desk. 'Either way, there are far more pleasant things you could be doing at your desk than paperwork.'

'There are?' Emma nearly choked on her words. She couldn't believe it. Surely she couldn't be suggesting what it sounded like, and at her desk?

'I can think of a few – can't you?' she said, her voice now light and innocent.

'Well…' Emma admitted, her eyes wandering up and down the woman's body, she couldn't help it.

'I thought so.' She said, quite pleased with herself as she sauntered the few feet that separated them, 'Or-'

Regina sat down on Emma's lap, keeping her legs closed and to one side with her arms gently encircling Emma's neck. 'Maybe we don't need the desk. Hmm?' Regina said as she slowly caressed Emma's cheek, then ran her hand gently over her shoulder, and then lightly, barely touching her at all, down her front, barely ghosting over the swell of Emma's breast.

'Regina-' Emma said, it came out a whisper, a plea.

'Yes, dear?' she said still feigning innocence.

'I-' Emma wanted to say that she felt this was too sudden too fast, and she tried to move her lips, but there was no sound coming out.

'What is it?' she asked, toying with the buttons on the front of Emma's uniform, but leaving them fastened.

'I-' Emma tried again, tried to tell her that she definitely wanted this, but not like this. And again, the words didn't form.

'You'll have to do better than that, dear.'

'Huh?'

'You have to tell me Emma. I'm not t a mind reader.' Emma could hear that she was toying with her now.

'I-' and Emma tried to move her lips to articulate all the thoughts that were swirling around in her head, her lips felt like they were moving, but Regina just kept waiting for her to say something. To say that God she wanted this, but it was too soon, they couldn't just go from friends to office sex.

'Yes?' she prodded, 'tell me what you want, Emma.' She said, popping one of Emma's buttons open. 'Tell me so that I know you want this as much as I do.'

'Of course I want this!' she said immediately out of frustration.

Regina's touch stilled, and her smile broadened. Emma breathed a smile of relief, apparently she had done something right. The mayor sat back and unbuttoned her shirt completely and tossed it to the floor, revealing a black lace bra. She then began to undress Emma, and brought her lips to the side of the sheriff's neck, kissing and licking her most sensitive spot behind her ear. How did she know?

Emma heard herself groan and then felt herself flush in embarrassment, they weren't even undressed yet and she couldn't control herself. She felt puffs of air against her skin. Great now Regina was laughing too. But Emma forgot her embarrassment when she felt Regina's tongue licking up her neck toward the shell of her ear and she moaned again, quieter, though this time, as the mayor caressed, licked, sucked with her mouth.

'Regina.' She groaned.

'Yes?' she whispered.

'I – ' Emma began, losing her desire to hold back from this when it felt so good.

Emma felt a hand at the top of her uniform sheriff's pants, easily undoing the button and zipper and slinking inside.

'Oh you do want this, don't you sheriff.' Regina groaned as she drug her fingers around in Emma's wetness, feeling the slickness of it against her shaved skin, more than trying to stimulate or enter her.

There was no way to deny it even if she had wanted to. Emma got embarrassingly wet whenever she thought about such a scenario, which was quite often. She couldn't imagine how soaked she was getting to experience it. 'Yes.' She sighed, feeling Regina kiss down her jawline, her lips light and soft, to eventually reach her lips. Regina's kiss was just as firm and insistent as the woman had been to come in indecently dressed and sit down on her lap.

When they kissed, Regina pushed one finger slowly in, knuckle deep, making them both groan into their kiss and still for a moment before moving again, torturously slow.

Regina waved her other hand and instantly Emma was completely naked, with Regina's eyes hungrily roaming over her body. She put her other hand on Emma's breast, feeling the weight of it before she squeezed harder, causing her nipple to harden against her palm. Emma kissed her again, slower this time. Which Regina must have appreciated because she began thrusting harder, adding one finger and then another. Regina put her mouth on the breast she wasn't groping and sucked, laving the nipple with her tongue and occasionally worrying her teeth against it gently, without biting down.

'Gina, please-' Emma sighed, not knowing what to ask for, just knowing that she desperately needed something, something more.

'Emma, remember, you have to tell me what you want.' She teased, and Emma moved Regina's other hand down to rub at her clit while she was being fingerfucked to what she could tell was going to be a mind blowing orgasm very soon. Regina smiled against Emma's lips as she kissed the other woman. Her lips tender where her hands were rough. Emma could feel herself tightening a little, she was close.

She pulled back from the kiss to tell her, 'Regina – I – I'm going to-'.

'Come for me Emma.' She said, and a moment later Emma did, screaming out Regina's name to echo through the empty station as she peaked, her walls fluttering around Regina's fingers.

'Gina- want to touch you too.' Emma said in a warm lethargic haze.

She shook her head and waved her hand. Emma couldn't move her hands, they were laying limp on the arms of her chair unable to move while Regina sat on her lap.

Before Emma could protest further, there was a loud blaring sound coming through the speakers in the station.

'Is that the fire alarm?' Emma asked

Emma wasn't sure, it didn't sound like it – it sounded like the alarm on her phone. But how was that possible?

'Emma what is it?' Regina asked.

Then Emma was able to move her arms again. She closed her eyes, trying to focus and block out the noise. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that she wasn't sitting down she was lying down. She definitely wasn't in the sheriff's station, she was at home, in bed. And it definitely wasn't Regina that gave her that orgasm that had been so intense she felt like she could fall back asleep and not wake up til after her shift was over. Fuck. She was going to be late.

It was far from the first erotic dream starring her and the mayor living out her fantasies. That had happened before the first curse broke. Before she knew that the Savior shouldn't be having dirty dreams about the Evil Queen. But recently they had started again, and they were far more intense. Each time something different. This was the first time that she came though, they had always ended before then, with her waking up frustrated and usually without time to do anything more to take care of her arousal than take a cold shower. Each time the dream felt so real. It was driving her insane dreaming of all the things she wanted to do to and with Regina.

She had to do something about it. She would ask Regina to do something that was definitely a date, and where Henry wouldn't be there. It didn't take her very long to come up with an idea.

'Thank you for coming by to pick up these contracts, Kat, I appreciate it.' Regina greeted politely.

'No problem.' The blonde lawyer smiled easily and tucked the folder into a compartment of her briefcase. 'And it's nice to see you, it's been a while.'

'Yes, too long. We should get together soon, maybe have coffee later this week, catch up?'

'That sounds good, I'll have our secretaries coordinate.' The woman said, 'I think the last time I saw you, you didn't even see me. It was when you were out with Emma, eating dinner, a few weeks ago.'

'Dinner, with Emma – ?' Regina asked.

'Mhmm.' She smirked and Regina could tell that there was more, something that the woman wasn't saying.

'What?'

'I know we've both been busy, but why didn't you tell me that you and Emma are dating?' Kat asked, grinning from ear to ear.

'What, because we're not-' she said, flushing instantly. 'Why would you assume that?'

'Do you have romantic dinners with people you aren't dating? Hold hands?'

'No, I don't.' She admitted.

'So you are dating Emma?'

'No, we're - I don't know.' Regina sighed, 'I don't know what we are lately. We've always been friends, but I think that maybe that might be changing.' She had felt things slowly changing between them, but she hadn't said it aloud to anyone.

'Really?'

'I hope so.' She admitted quietly, straightening an already immaculate pile of paper on her desk.

'Changing like having candlelit dinners where you can't stop smiling and staring at each other?'

Regina scoffed, 'I wouldn't go that far.'

'I was two tables away from you the entire time you were there and you didn't even notice, did you?'

'You didn't say anything either.' She grumbled, knowing that she really didn't have anything else she could say.

'So… have you two done anything more than hold hands?' she continued

'Katherine!'

'What? You see the way she looks at you, don't you?'

'Nothing has happened. There were a few times I thought she was going to kiss me though.' Regina said, if she was going to discuss Emma, she might as well be honest. Katherine was her friend, after all, and friends were supposed to gossip about their love interests.

'But she didn't.'

'No.'

'Maybe you should kiss her.' She shrugged.

'What!?' As if it was as simple as just walking up to her and-

'Take some initiative.'

Just then there was a knock on Regina's door, and just as usual, Emma didn't wait for an answer before entering.

'Hey, Regina, your secretary said you didn't have an appointment so I thought I'd – oh Katherine, hey' Emma began as she strode into the mayor's office.

'Hi, Emma.'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I can come back later or something - ' she said, her bravado evaporating in the presence of her father's former fiancée/cursed wife.

'No, I was just leaving.' Katherine closed her briefcase.

'You sure.'

'Yes, just needed to pick up something from Regina, I'll be on my way.' She said moving behind Emma toward the door. 'Call me, about the coffee this week.' Regina tried not to roll her eyes at her lack of subtlety as she nodded.

'What brings you by, sheriff?'

Emma's heart skipped a beat at hearing Regina call her that in person so soon after her dream. 'So, uh I was wondering if you were doing anything next Saturday.'

'Next Saturday? I don't think so, why?' Regina thought, pulling up her calendar to confirm.

'I've been practicing cooking.' Emma started, why was this so much more difficult than it sounded in her head? Maybe because it was a lie… well not a lie really, but it hadn't really happened yet.

'Oh?'

'Yeah, and I thought maybe, you could come over and I could cook for you.'

'Oh.'

Regina wasn't really giving her anything to go on, so Emma continued, 'You know, since I'm always eating your food. If you're not busy.'

Regina looked at her phone, 'I don't see anything in my schedule.'

'Great, I'll uh, see you then?' Emma asked, she hadn't really even said whether she wanted to or not.

'It's a date.' Regina said and then blushed. Emma tried not to grin like an idiot.

'Yeah, ok, great, I'll let you get back to work.' Emma said, trying to contain her smile until she left the office. She had a date with Regina, finally. Now all she had to do was learn to cook in a little over a week.

'Why couldn't you have dropped me off first and then come back?' Henry asked Emma , not quite whining as they walked into the grocery store.

'Because this is on the way from the station to Nick's.' Emma answered. 'But you can add a thing or two to the list if you want.' Emma said and handed it over.

'We're going to have a cart full of sugary cereal and ice cream.'

'Your Mom would kill me.' Emma laughed. 'But one box of cocoa puffs and a pint of Ben n Jerry's wouldn't hurt.'

'Ma, what are you gonna do with asparagus?' Henry scoffed as he looked over the list.

'Eat it.' She said as if that would be obvious.

'I would believe it if Grandma said that, or Mom, but since when do you eat vegetables?' he teased. 'That don't come on a pizza.'

'Can't I want to be healthy?'

'Of course you can, it's just weird that you're cooking meals that don't come from a can or a box. Or a takeout counter.'

Emma tried not to roll her eyes, he was right. And maybe wanting to cook for Regina would lead to some healthier cooking. 'Yeah, I'm trying to eat better, probly your Mom's influence.'

'Yeah, she's been telling you to eat healthy for years, or at least giving you crap about eating unhealthy, if that counts.'

'Well it's starting to work. And I was thinking maybe, after I actually manage to make a meal without breaking an appliance, she could come over and have dinner at our place for a change since she invites me to family dinners at the mansion.'

'I'm sure she'd like that, probably want to see you not burn down the house with her own two eyes.' He chuckled.

'Something like that. And I already invited her. Now I just have to practice.'

'When?'

'Next Saturday.'

'Oh, I have a sleepover at Nicks, though.' He thought as he looked over the ice cream flavors.

Emma took a breath, 'Yeah, I thought we could hang out, you know just the two of us.'

'Oh.'

Did he sound disappointed? 'Does that bother you?' she asked carefully. She didn't want to have the whole dating your Mom conversation yet, not before their first date.

'No, it's good that you're friends. I like spending time with both of you, but I don't mind if you two hang out alone either. I mean, I know you do, when I'm doing other stuff of whatever. And there's probly stuff you guys talk about that I don't need to know.' he said, wrinkling his nose slightly the way Regina did when she was annoyed at something or felt it was beneath her.

Emma just chuckled.

There was a crash that sounded like it was a few aisles over, followed by yelling. Emma headed over, leaving Henry with the cart.

'The hell is your problem?' a very grumpy Leroy yelled from the ground, surrounded by grocery items.

'I am so sorry, I don't know what happened!' a middle aged woman said standing behind an overturned cart. She looked familiar, Emma thought she might be one of the other teachers at Snow's school.

'You don't know what happened? You ran me over, that's what happened!' he said as he pushed himself up.

There was a small crowd of onlookers now, watching this play out.

'I told you it was an acci-' she began

'Alright, Leroy, are you hurt?' Emma asked, feeling she should step in to resolve the situation.

'I don't know!'

Emma looked him up and down, 'You look like you're doing alright, any pain?'

'Yeah the ankle that she knocked into!'

'Let me see.' Emma requested, he looked like he was standing just fine on it, and once she saw it, it looked fine, no swelling or bruising. 'I'll take your statements, alright, and then we're all going to check out with our groceries and go home, ok?'

They agreed. For her part, the woman seemed apologetic and genuinely bewildered. And she wasn't lying when she said that she didn't know what happened. Which was odd since the cart was pushed into Leroy hard enough to knock him over and topple everything. At least she got him to agree not to press charges on the poor woman and it didn't take up too much time. If they hurried, they wouldn't be late getting Henry to his friend's house.

'Mom, look!' Henry pointed as she pushed the cart through the parking lot.

She saw Pongo running through street.

'I'm off-duty, kid, Archie'll have to wait for Mulan to come and round up his dog.'

'No, look-' Henry again.

And Emma saw that Pongo was being followed, no chased, by a cat.

'Huh, weird.' Emma shrugged.

'So when are you going to be practicing for Mom?' Henry asked.

'Tonight, I figure I'd start cooking for myself before giving anything to you or your Mom.'

'That's probably for the best.' Henry agreed diplomatically.

 **A/N: So I wasn't setting out to write a chapter where more than half of it is a sex dream but it just sort of happened, hope you all don't mind haha. And I always love to hear what you think :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It feels like forever since I've updated. I went back and forth on how to do this chapter and the next more than I have for any other chapters so far, I think, because I'm almost where I've been wanting this fic to go from the beginning. Which is exciting to write, and I hope you enjoy reading it. And as always thanks for reading, favoriting, following and especially reviewing! I always enjoy reading your reactions and opinions!**

 **Disclaimer: I still own nothing and do this just for fun, and to do justice to all that wasted subtext.**

Regina slowly paced back and forth in her room, in front of her bed. She had been thinking of what she was going to wear all day, which she knew was ridiculous and beneath her. But she couldn't help it. This is what Emma did to her, reduced her to some nervous schoolgirl. The worst part was that she didn't even really mind. With the nerves came excitement as well, and it had been a long time since she had felt this excited about anyone. The buzzing of her phone brought her back to reality.

'Regina, how are you?' Zelena greeted cheerily, and Regina could hear Robyn babbling in the background.

'Fine.' Regina said quickly.

'Is something wrong?' her sister asked carefully.

'No, why?'

'You're not usually so short over the phone.' Zelena said after a moment's hesitation. She was still getting to know her sister, but she sounded off.

'Oh. Was there a reason you called?'

'I'm calling to see if you want to come over later.'

'I can't.'

'Oh?'

'I have plans. Another time?'

'Sure. Who are your plans with?'

'I'm having dinner.'

'With Henry?'

'No, with Emma.'

'Anyone else?' she wondered, and Regina could hear her smiling over the phone.

'No one else, just her, at her house.' Regina said confidently.

'It's about time.' She mumbled.

'What?'

'You and the Savior, it's about time.' She repeated louder.

'Zelena, I know that you-' Regina began, not needing to be teased about her relationship with Emma by anyone else.

'What are you wearing?' she changed course, knowing it was useless to try and talk to the woman about her feelings directly.

'I'm not sure.'

'You should wear that black dress, the looser one.'

'That's helpful.' Regina said, she didn't think that she owned any loose clothing, at least not any that she would consider wearing tonight.

'You know, the one with – that you wore to Henry's birthday dinner.'

'Any particular reason for that suggestion?'

'Your sheriff was staring at your ass that whole night. Not that she doesn't tend to stare usually-'

'She isn't my sheriff.' Regina protested.

'Not yet she isn't. Go, get ready and enjoy your dinner. Emma-'

'Alright, I will.' Regina cut her off.

'Remember what I said.' Zelena's voice was calm, sure.

'I will. Goodbye.'

'Ta.'

When Emma opened her front door, Regina was overtaken by the smell of smoke. And by the time she directed her gaze toward the woman standing in the doorway, Emma's eyes were wandering over her figure. Feeling vindicated in her choice of outfit, Regina cleared her throat.

'Hey.' Emma stepped forward and embraced her in a hug that was stiffer and ended sooner than Regina would have liked. She could tell that Emma was a little tense. Perhaps she was nervous too? 'I'm – I'm sorry – I was running late and I put the sauce on higher heat so it would reduce faster and-' she said, her words tumbling out quickly as she gestured to the kitchen.

Regina stepped into the house, with Emma following. 'Leave the door open for a minute to clear the smoke.' She said when Emma went to close it.

Regina had gone straight to the kitchen to assess the damage. It was sweet that Emma wanted to cook for her, but a disaster was far from unpredictable. It looked like only the one pan was burned at least. 'What are you making?'

'That was going to be the glaze for the salmon.' Emma said in a voice far closer than Regina expected and she jumped. 'Didn't mean to scare you.' She chuckled and stepped closer.

'That tends to happen when you can't see three feet in front of you.'

Emma rolled her eyes at the exaggeration.

'Have you started anything else?' she asked

'No, the glaze was the only thing, and I was just about to start the rice.'

'You do that, where is your wine opener?' she asked and Emma pointed. 'I'll take care of the salmon. What else?'

'No, you're here to eat, not cook.' Emma insisted, grabbing onto the pan for the fish, which Regina would not relinquish.

'So you want me to just sit and wait for you to burn something else.'

Emma tried to glare, but Regina could tell it was an empty gesture.

'Roasted asparagus.' The blonde relented, she was trying to date the woman, not fight with her.

'Oh, I love that with fish.'

'I know.'

'Hmm.'

'You know I've made this meal twice before with no problem.' Emma mentioned as she measured the rice.

'I know.' she revealed, Emma shouldn't sound so defeated.

'You do?' Emma's brow was furrowed in confusion, it was pretty cute.

'Henry. He wouldn't tell me what you were making, but he said that I would be impressed.'

'Not so impressive when it's burnt to the pan.' Emma said, half joking.

Regina clicked her tongue. 'I wouldn't go that far.'

'This wine is good- it tastes familiar.' Emma licked her lips as she wracked her brain.

'You've had it before.' She smirked, it was the same wine that they shared when they were looking after Neal and Emma slept over at the mansion, when they had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Regina wasn't going to mention it, but she did hope that on some level Emma made that connection.

'Mhmm.' Emma said as she took a long sip. At least until she was interrupted by Regina placing her hand over Emma's and tilting her glass away from her mouth, to the sheriff's confusion.

'Not too quickly, good wine should be savored.'

Emma raised a brow as she set the glass on the counter.

They worked together easily, getting everything set to cook, retiring to the living room while it finished.

'Can I ask you something?'

'If I said no would it stop you?' she teased.

'What kind of movies do you like?'

'What?'

'You had never seen Star Wars, and every other time I've made a movie reference you just look at me like you have no idea what I'm talking about so I've been wondering what you do watch.'

'I don't really have time to watch much of anything.' She shrugged, 'Let alone Star Wars, even if Henry likes it so much.'

A grin spread wide across Emma's face.

'What?'

'You're lying.' She said smugly. 'You do have time. Is it something embarrassing?'

'No!' she said indignantly.

'Hmm, I'll find out. It's probly something that goes against the whole regal, distinguished thing you have going on if you're too embarrassed for me to know. Maybe it's Keeping up with the Kardashians, or the Bachelor-' Emma listed.

'Those are TV shows, not movies.' Regina pointed out.

'Maybe I'll just ask Henry, he'll tell me.'

'You would use our son to find out information about me?' Regina feigned offense.

'You didn't seem to mind when I made you food you liked. This is just another part of getting to know you better.'

'What movies do you like?'

Emma saw the distraction for what it was, but went along with it rather than mentioning it. 'I've always loved action movies, like Rambo or Terminator II. And Star Wars, and the Marvel movies are cool too. It's been fun watching them all with Henry.'

Regina thought then of just how long Emma had been in their lives. It seemed at once like it was yesterday when her yellow bug drove into town with runaway Henry, and yet it also felt like she had always been a part of their lives. In six years they had gone from mortal enemies to working together to friends to hopefully something more. Something that followed through on the lingering glances and disregard for personal space.

The kitchen timer went off, interrupting Regina's daydreams.

The meal turned out surprisingly well for how it started, thanks to Regina's help. As the women ate, they talked easily. About their family, their work, but mostly about nothing in particular. The kind of conversation where everything feels comfortable, but charged at the same time.

'I don't know that I'll ever be able to do this.' Emma admitted as she took out the ice cream and two spoons.

'What exactly?'

'You just walked in here and made delicious food with the random crap I have in my kitchen, after I couldn't even follow a recipe.'

Regina smiled, 'you will be able to eventually, practice makes perfect. Following the recipe doesn't hurt either.' She added under her breath to tease her. 'You should come over earlier to family dinners, get more practice helping me cook instead of just eat.'

'Here.' Emma handed her a spoon.

'Out of the carton?' Regina asked.

'Yes, tonight you're going to eat ice cream like a normal person.' She teased and sat on the couch, her side touching Regina's.

Regina normally didn't indulge in ice cream at all, much less out of the container. But it did look good. It was chocolate, her favorite, and it looked like Emma had put chocolate syrup in it as well. There was also something about sharing dessert with Emma that seemed tempting all on its own. And when she took a tiny bite Regina found out, it was as delicious as it looked. When the spoon touched her tongue, Regina thought she could eat the whole thing in about five minutes if Emma weren't there. She didn't usually enjoy sweets, but it was so good that she accidentally moaned. Shit. Emma's eyebrows were practically in her hairline. And there was the way she was looking at her, as if Regina was what she really wanted to eat.

Regina's heart pounded as Emma leaned slightly closer. This was what she had been hoping for, that Emma would finally kiss her. Just when she closed her eyes and leaned closer, she heard Emma's work phone in the other room.

'Shouldn't you answer that?' Regina asked, her voice breathier than usual.

'I shouldn't have to, I made sure that other deputies were covering tonight in case anyone needed back up.' Emma said sounding frustrated.

'Emma. That's all the more reason you need to answer it.' Regina insisted, leaning back and away from the sheriff.

'Ugh.' She got up and went to get her phone. Regina was right, and the moment was gone either way. 'Sheriff Swan. What? … you think it might be…ok, I'll be right there.'

Regina sighed. Damn the people of Storybrooke, couldn't they leave her one night with Emma?

'I have to go.' She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, putting it back in a ponytail.

'I heard.'

'And I'm sorry, but there's more.' She added slowly.

'What do you mean more?'

'I think maybe you should come too.'

When they got to the forest, there was no mistaking it, this was magical. They could see the glow in the air from a hundred feet away. And as they got closer, it became clearer. The bright white glow surrounded people suspended in the air above a clearing. Some were moving their limbs while their torsos stayed still, some were yelling, all were very obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

'Emma thank God you're here!' Dorothy sighed, standing alongside Mulan. 'We don't know how to get them down.'

'Because you don't have magic.' Regina said as if that should be obvious.

'Is that the Queen?' one of the magically suspended people asked.

'What's she doing here?' another cried.

'I bet it was her.' A third chimed in.

'It wasn't her. She's been with me all night.' Emma said quickly.

'Oh.' Dorothy said. 'Well, I guess that eliminates another magic user.'

'Regina could you get them down?' Emma asked, not happy with her deputy's tone.

'I was waiting for an apology.' She glanced at the people in the air and then at Emma, finding her to be unimpressed. 'Oh, fine.' Regina waved her hand, slowly lowering them to the ground, the magic fading away as they regained control of their bodies. She then waited from a respectful distance while Emma, Mulan and Dorothy asked them a few questions before conferring amongst themselves.

'Do you have any idea who did this?' Emma asked her deputies.

'Not really. Not a lot of people from their land have magic, and we've ruled them all out before you got here. They weren't any help in getting them down either.' Dorothy mentioned.

'Great. So no idea how it happened or who did it.' Emma clarified.

'I'm telling you it was the Queen!' one of them shouted from the other side of the clearing.

'You mean the one that just helped you down?' Emma yelled back. 'Sorry.' She said to Regina, who waived her hand in dismissal. She expected a certain amount of distrust.

'The magic that held them there is strong.' Regina said when the women fell silent. 'And unfamiliar.'

'What do you mean unfamiliar?' Emma wondered.

'That I don't remember encountering its particular signature before.' She explained. It really did feel different than a personal magic or a spell or the fairies. 'Every kind of magic has one.' She elaborated for the benefit of Mulan and Dorothy.

'Oh. So it is one of them?' Emma deduced.

'I didn't say that-' she corrected. Whoever did this could be from anywhere.

'It would make sense. How many calls have you gotten for people magically floating in the air?' Mulan shrugged.

'And not just people, two people accused of stealing and one of destruction of property.' Emma realized, looking at them. 'And this isn't the first time that people have claimed that magic was responsible for whatever they did. Maybe they were right.'

'A magical vigilante? Great. Just what this town needs.' Regina scoffed.

'It's better than someone magically harming people, don't you think?' Dorothy asked, Regina rolled her eyes. It might be some time before Dorothy completely got over what happened in Oz with Zelena. There was no point arguing with her now.

'It's obviously not ideal, but it isn't exactly a crisis either. They seem to be unharmed, physically. It might be a while before we understand what happened, but at least for now the magic isn't being used for, for-' Emma struggled to come up with another word for what she was thinking.

'Evil.' Dorothy finished looking at Regina.

'Yeah, well looks like the situation is resolved, you two can handle it from here? Try and Find out more about how this happened?' Emma wanted to get out of the situation quickly, it was her night off after all. She had planned on finally having a date with Regina, not bringing her out of town to solve her deputies' problems while they reminded her of her past.

Both deputies nodded.

'Alright, Regina, you want to uh walk back into town instead of poofing? It's a nice night.' Emma observed, and all three women knew how odd the suggestion sounded.

'Lead the way Sheriff.' She acquiesced.

They walked in silence until they got out of ear shot.

'So, it is a nice night, but I also thought that maybe this would be a chance to see if you sensed the same magic.' She elaborated, feeling the Need to fill the silence.

'Of course.' Regina answered.

Did she sound upset? Emma couldn't tell. It was a beautiful clear night to walk through the woods. 'So uh just tell me if you feel anything.' Emma said, growing uncomfortable with the silence between them.

'I will. It was powerful.' She remarked.

'Can you tell if it was dark?'

'No, it wasn't. But it wasn't good either.'

'Huh.' Emma said and they fell into silence. 'Thank you.'

Emma couldn't get a clear read of Regina's expression as it was mostly dark along the road back into town. 'You're welcome.'

'It's just, if you hadn't – then we'd have to wait for Gold, and who knows how long that would take and-' she rambled, feeling the need to explain herself.

'With everything we've been through, you should know I'll be there when you need me.' Her voice sounded unsure of something.

'Yeah, I know. I just want you to know that I appreciate it.' Emma said as she grasped Regina's hand in her own, and even in the dim moonlight, she could see the corner of her mouth tilt up in a smile.

'Of course, if you spent more time practicing your magic, you wouldn't need me so often.' Regina said lightly. Emma's lack of attention to her magical abilities was something Regina reminded her of frequently.

'You mean that I would be able to sense it too?'

'You can't sense the presence of other magic?'

'Only yours.' Emma said honestly and then blushed. 'I mean, I can tell if a lot of magic has been used, but I can't tell whose it is unless it's yours. Probly because we've used magic together so many times.'

'Perhaps.' She agreed, but didn't sound convinced.

Emma had an idea. 'Here.' Emma said, stopped and closed her eyes. Regina was worried for a moment, having their date interrupted by one magical incident was enough in her opinion. But after a few moments of concentration, a poof of white smoke cleared to reveal a bouquet of red roses in Emma's hands. With an ear to ear grin, she extended them to Regina.

'Thank you, they're beautiful.' She brought the flowers closer to inhale the fragrance. Regina was touched by the gesture. The times someone had done something thoughtful for her had been few and far between, but lately Emma was changing that.

Once they got within sight of Zelena's house, Regina teleported them back to Emma's home. If her sister was awake, she didn't need to see them on a moonlit walk in the forest holding a bouquet of flowers.

'I'm sorry, again, for this.' Emma said, then adding when Regina looked confused. 'That we had to go and save the town.'

Regina shook her head. She wasn't sorry, it had been a lovely evening. Sure, it would have been better if they weren't interrupted by the need to go solve some kind of magical crisis. But as first dates go, she'd take it. 'I had a great time.'

'Really?'

'Is that so hard to believe?'

Emma shook her head, it wasn't. Not for her. She was finally able to show interest in the woman she had been attracted to for years and who she had come to have feelings for as well. 'You uh want to come in for a drink?'

'It's getting late, I should probably get going.'

Emma nodded. Damn. She wasn't wrong, but Emma had been hoping that they could go inside, have a drink and that maybe she would have another chance to kiss her, to make up for when they were interrupted by her deputies.

'Well, uh goodnight.' When Emma turned back toward her house she felt a gentle touch on her arm, pulling her gently back. Before she knew it, Regina's impossibly soft lips were on her own. And as soon as Emma closed her eyes and put her hand on Regina's waist, she was pulling away. When her eyes slowly drifted back open, Regina couldn't help smirking at the dazed look on the blonde's face.

'Good night, Emma.' She said softly and walked to her car.

Emma stood there for a moment, in a daze that broke with the gentle sound of Regina's car door closing. 'night.' She exhaled and went back inside her house.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. And all mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Henry checked the time on his phone as he walked home, he was an hour after curfew. Crap. He could just see his Mom waiting up to lecture him. He didn't mean to be late, he just lost track of time. After practice, he had gone over to the Tillman's to play video games and got sucked into it, not realizing how late it was until he was practically falling asleep. He didn't see any of the house lights on, that was a good sign, maybe she was already asleep, it was a little after midnight.

When he opened the gate, something caught his eye. It looked like a piece of paper, folded neatly and carefully leaned against the lamppost. He took it and opened it, stopping in the yard to read it. As soon as he was finished, he went to the porch and strode inside, hoping that his mom wasn't asleep already. He'd hate to have to wake her up. Luckily, the light was on in the study. He closed the front door, not making any effort to be quiet, and went straight there.

'Henry, you're late.' Her voice was flat, he couldn't tell if she was mad or not, but at the moment, he didn't really care.

'Yeah, I know and I'm sorry, but you need to see this.' He said, her eyes were drawn to the parchment clutched tight in his fist. 'I found it outside.'

Regina took it from him and glanced over it, then put it on her desk.

'Aren't you going to do anything?' he was almost shouting in a panic.

'I really don't think that's necessary.'

'What? You don't even know who sent this.' He was pacing now, 'Or do you?'

'I have no idea.' She admitted.

'Then how can you think this is ok? This could be anyone!'

'Henry-'

'No, this is really creepy.' He insisted.

She wished he hadn't found the note. She thought she had been careful in taking them in and keeping them where Henry wouldn't see them. 'It isn't a conventional way of communicating, I admit, but-'

'No, what would you think if I sent this to some girl – you know you wouldn't think it's ok.'

'But you didn't write it. Because you are from this world and know better. Things are different in other realms.'

'What do you mean?' he asked, as if he hadn't considered it.

'I don't know who wrote it, but when I was Queen, it wasn't uncommon to receive gifts, tribute, sometimes humble and sometimes extravagant to try to curry favor.' Regina explained, hoping that he would understand.

'And were all of them gifts, or were some attempts to hurt you?'

'It's just a letter.' She repeated.

'A creepy letter.'

'Nonetheless-'

'Mom, please. How can you think this isn't really creepy and something to be freaked out about?'

'Are there any threats?'

'No.' he admitted. 'Not really.'

'Exactly, it looks just as if one of our newer residents is a little slower to adapt to this world's customs and is trying to get on my good side.'

'You really think that's what it is?' he asked slowly.

'I do.'

'K, but it wouldn't hurt if Ma-' he began, knowing that she would back him up on this.

'I don't think you should tell your other mother about this.' She interrupted. Emma was prone to being overprotective as it is. Now that they were getting closer, she would probably blow it out of proportion even more.

'Why not.'

'Because she's from this world, too, she won't understand.'

'But-'

'You know how she gets. And she has enough to worry about right now, don't you think? With the longer hours, and the unrest at the encampment, we even had to go there earlier tonight. I promise if something changes and I think there's a threat, Emma will be the first to know. But until then, I don't want her to get worked up about something that's harmless, or at least is harmless right now. Do you understand?'

'Not really.' He shrugged. 'If it's nothing, she'll understand that too, right?'

'Your mother isn't always the most – level-headed.' She settled on, not sure how to explain the Charming family's general lack of tact.

'You know she'd want to know.'

'She would, but telling her would do more harm than good. There are no threats, please don't tell Emma about this. I'm asking you to trust me.'

'I do trust you.'

'Good, then you won't tell Emma.'

He thought about it. There were times that his mom put herself in danger, but this letter was at their house, if it was a threat, it would be a threat to him too, and Henry knew that she wouldn't put him in harm's way. 'Fine.'

Regina breathed a sigh of relief. 'Now why are you home so late, where were you?'

'I was just at the Tillman's.' Regina raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to give a better explanation. 'really, I promise, we were playing video games and I didn't realize what time it was.'

'You still came home past your curfew.' She reminded.

'But I wasn't doing anything bad.'

'You need your sleep. And who knows what people could be getting into in the middle of the night. You don't need to be caught up in any schemes.'

'I'll be fine.'

'Henry.'

'Mom, I've been kidnapped before, I was just playing video games.' He whined.

'All the more reason why you should be home in the middle of the night.'

'You ask me to trust you, can't you trust me a little too?'

'What do you mean?'

'You want me not to tell Emma, maybe you could trust me that I'm fine and that staying out late on accident, once, without doing anything bad isn't really that big of a deal and doesn't deserve being punished.'

'I don't think that's what "trust" means Henry.' She pointed out.

He just looked at her.

Regina thought about it. She couldn't tell if he was trying to use not telling Emma as some sort of leverage for getting out of being punished. He was Gold's grandson after all, and a teenager. 'Fine.' Of all the things he could be out doing in the middle of the night, playing video games at a friend's house was about as innocuous as it got, anyway.

Henry was shocked, and his expression showed it. 'K, I'll uh go to bed. Thanks, Mom.'

'Remember, don't tell Emma.' She reminded him.

Henry nodded. He was relieved that he wasn't going to be punished for being out late, but the way his mom had acted was bothering him. She didn't normally keep things from Emma, not anymore. And she definitely didn't allow him to break curfew so that he'd keep secrets from her. Something was going on. He wasn't going to break his word, but he needed to keep an eye on things.

* * *

Emma went to Regina's office in person to turn in her paperwork. It wasn't necessary, but it had been a few days since their date and they hadn't really spent time together. Out of the blue during her shift, she began to miss her so much she thought of a reason to go see her at work. They had been texting, of course. And the texting was decidedly flirtier than it had been before their date, before their kiss. But it didn't compare to spending time with each other in person. Innuendo and winky face emojis weren't the same as hearing her laugh in person and seeing her beautiful smile. And for whatever reason, Emma hadn't been able to get the mayor off her mind.

'Hey, I have the uh paperwork here.' Emma said as she entered, holding it out in front of her awkwardly.

'Early?'

'I thought you might want it a little early to prepare for the town council meeting.'

'Is that so? That is unusual.' Regina said, looking at Emma, looking for something in her expression.

'Yeah?' she couldn't help her voice lilting up, maybe dropping by wasn't such a great idea.

'This isn't just an excuse to see me? I must admit that's a little disappointing.'

'It is?' Emma wasn't expecting her to be so forthcoming.

She gave a halfhearted shrug. 'I had a good time the other night, and I haven't seen you in a few days, I don't mind the impromptu visit.'

'Five days.'

'Five.' She confirmed. 'While I appreciate your punctuality, you don't need an excuse to come see me.'

Emma smiled. 'Be careful, I might just pop in here more often.'

'And what makes you think I'd mind?' she said only slightly more serious.

Emma wasn't sure where she got the courage to do what she did next. Whether it was the unexpected sincerity and honesty of Regina after years of emotional stonewalling and lashing out when she got close to any kind of vulnerable, or if it was the strength of her own feelings and desire alone. But Emma stepped forward and put the papers behind Regina on the desk and kissed her. Not gently or tentatively, but with all the confidence in knowing that Regina wanted this as much as she did. They were done playing games and tiptoeing around the unnamed and unacknowledged feelings that have been lingering around them for some time. The brunette deepened the kiss as Emma slowly backed her against the desk, their tongues alternately caressing, dominating, submitting before they separated.

Regina cleared her throat. 'I was just about to go to lunch, join me?'

Emma's lips were parted and she nodded, not trusting her ability to speak again just yet. Before they left the office, Regina made sure to wipe off her lipstick that had smudged off at the corner of Emma's mouth.

Seeing Emma in her office had been a nice surprise. She had been missing the blonde more than she would like to admit after finally kissing her and it was a relief to know that they were on the same page, both wanting their relationship transition into something romantic. That was enough for now, she thought. It was nice having lunch,

They were interrupted by a loud crash behind the counter. It sounded like something had splattered all over the floor.

'Shit.' Ruby cursed quietly.

The other waitress on duty came over to help, but Emma got up as well to help clean up the mess. It was a large container of olive oil that had spilled all over the floor.

'Shit. This is a lot.' Regina heard, and got up too, maybe magic could efficiently clean up the mess so they could go back to eating and working. She didn't see that the spill had gone around the counter and in front of their table. Before she could catch her balance, she slipped and fell, hitting her head on the edge of the booth before she hit the floor.

When she came to, moments later, all she could see was the white of Granny's ceiling and Emma's face melting into a smile.

'Hey, you ok?' she asked gently, and was she stroking her hair?

Regina tried to sit up, but Emma's hand pressured her shoulder.

'Hey, why don't you just take a moment, huh?' she said so softly it almost sounded like a suggestion.

She then noticed that her head was in Emma's lap.

'What happened?' she mumbled.

Emma's brow furrowed. 'You slipped and hit your head, passed out for a sec.'

'Oh.'

'How many fingers am I holding up?' she asked, waving three in front of her.

Regina rolled her eyes, but it was so painful that she winced.

'Are you in pain?'

'Maybe a little.' She admitted, though it was considerably more than a little.

'What's the last thing you remember?'

Regina thought back, but there was nothing specific she could think of.

'Crap. We should get to the hospital.' Emma said and slowly helped her up. 'Do you remember who you are?'

'Yes, sheriff.' She grumbled, or at least as much as one can grumble when someone is helping them stand up.

'Helpful.' Emma chuckled. 'I take it that means you remember me too?'

'Of course, Emma.' She leaned into the blonde a little more.

'Alright, now we really should go to the hospital, though.'

'If you insist.' Regina rolled her eyes and held up her hand to teleport them, but Emma grabbed it firmly.

'No- if you do have a concussion, it might not be safe to do magic.' She said.

'Fine.' She relented after seeing just how worried Emma was about her. 'I'll drive to the hospital.

'I'll drive.' Emma held her hand out for keys that Regina kept tightly in her hand. 'you're all oily, do you really want that in your car?'

'You'd have it in yours?'

'I have a tarp in the back that I can put over the seat.' She smirked, and Regina rolled her eyes.

The drive over was quiet. Regina felt fine. Maybe a little lightheaded, but that wasn't anything to go to the emergency room over, she didn't think. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long and she would be able to get back to work soon, she had a fair amount to do before the upcoming town council meeting. They weren't even in the waiting room long enough for Emma to finish the paperwork she had insisted on doing for Regina before a nurse called her back to the exam room. When she followed her, she noticed that Emma was coming along with her to the exam room.

'You're not leaving?' she asked.

'Oh, uh wasn't planning on it. I did drive you here.'

'I have magic I can just-'

'No, not until you know you're ok. Please? I can stay out here if you'd rather be alone.' Emma offered, hoping that Regina wouldn't fight her on staying.

'No, I wouldn't mind if you came with me, it would be boring out here in the waiting room.'

And Emma went with her, holding her hand while Whale was asking questions, shining lights in her eyes and walking back with her when they went to do an MRI to check for any bleeding or swelling. She could tell that the blonde was worried, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it.

'Well, good news you don't have a concussion. Bad news, you still fainted in Granny's diner.' Whale announced.

Regina couldn't tell if that was good news, bad news or both.

'So-' Emma prompted.

'So, we're going to do some more tests. We'll do a few X-Rays, draw some blood, and then call you with the results.'

'The results? What are you testing for?' Emma asked.

'I don't want you to get worried before there's anything to be worried about. Especially if those are your only symptoms, it really could be nothing. Even being dehydrated or locking your knee for too long would do it. But, of course, it's better to be sure.'

'But it could be something serious? Something – something-' Regina trailed off not wanting to finish the thought.

'Why don't you take the rest of the day off, or work from home.' He added after he got a glare. 'I'll call you as soon as the results come back, should be tomorrow.'

She took a deep breath and nodded.

'It'll be ok.' Emma promised. 'I'm sure it's nothing.'

'But it could be-' she protested.

Regina was cut off by Emma's arms wrapping around her in a somewhat awkward angle between their chairs, and she kissed the side of her forehead. 'You'll be ok, I promise.'

And with the comfort of Emma's words, Regina relaxed into her arms. Emma didn't know though that those weren't her only symptoms over the last few weeks.

When Regina saw an unknown number call her cell phone the next morning, her heart raced. She took a deep breath and forced herself to answer before the call could go to voicemail. 'Hello?'

'Mayor Mills, Dr Whale.'

'Yes?'

'Good news! Your test results came back negative. No cancer, diabetes, you appear to be in excellent health.'

'I am?' she was slightly surprised, she hadn't been feeling like it lately, and after her fall she had been expecting something other than a clean bill of health. 'Then why did I faint?'

'Could be any number of things. Make sure you drink plenty of water and don't skip any meals. There's no medical reason that I can see though, which is excellent news given your condition and oh congratulations, by the way! Though I have to say that would have been helpful to know yesterday for your x ray-'

'Condition? Congratulations?' she repeated, feeling that there was something she wasn't understanding.

'I'm sorry, is that not the customary response to finding out a woman is pregnant?'

'Pregnant.' She repeated, barely a whisper.

* * *

 **A/N: I know that's a massive cliffhanger, but I think it makes the most sense to break it up this way and end the chapter here and as always I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions! I don't think it's that out of nowhere given the story description, but then again I'm writing it and know what's going to happen. I would like to reiterate that this is 100% a swan queen fic, and if you're nervous about how this will play out, I'd ask you to stick with me for a bit and give it a chance :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: So to make up for ending the last chapter where I did, here's a relatively quick update. I want to just mention here that Regina's issues of infertility [etc] will be mentioned in case you're sensitive to that sort of thing, but it's in the context of coming to terms with something that she had thought to be impossible, rather than her not wanting to have the baby or reliving past trauma. Imo, my mentions aren't any more graphic/explicit than what's in the show [I actually think they're considerably less so], but that isn't a trigger for me, so I wanted to err on the side of caution. Loved reading your thoughts and reactions to the last chapter btw**

 **Disclaimer: still own nothing :( and haven't been pregnant/had kids yet, so please excuse any inaccuracies relating to that**

* * *

Regina sat in her office, eyes closed and heart still pounding. She couldn't believe it. It shouldn't be possible. It wasn't possible, not at all. Not after what she did to herself, and not after trying with Robin. But these tests were as accurate as it got, weren't they? Still, she had to be sure before she really let herself believe it. So, she took several tests from the drug store. And then went in to the hospital to get tested again, but the results were the same. She was pregnant.

As she was at her desk, completely distracted from being able to do any work, Emma called.

'Hello?' she answered.

'Hey, so I was just calling to see if you got your results back yet?' Emma sounded nervous.

'No! I – not yet.' She added quietly. She didn't really believe it herself, and now she was having to tell other people about it? And not just people. Emma. Her closest friend and, she liked to think, something more than that now.

'Oh, well, I've been thinking about you. About what happened yesterday- well and you too.' Regina heard her laugh over the phone and smiled. Emma. 'And I just wanted to see how you were holding up.'

She wanted Emma to know, to talk to her about it, but was she going to tell her when she didn't know what was going on herself. 'Are you free for lunch?'

'I lied.' She blurted out as soon as Emma came in later that day.

'Huh?'

'About not having the results, I'm sorry, I just couldn't tell you over the phone. Whale called this morning.' Regina continued, not wanting to tell her and not wanting to lie at once.

'What is it?'

'It's - it's not what you think. It's not something bad, not to me. But – ' she took a moment to remember the concern in Emma's expression. She was someone Regina couldn't hide this news from. No matter how terrified and confused she was about this whole thing so far, Emma had always been there for her when she needed it. She might as well just say it. 'I'm pregnant.'

'What?' Emma almost laughed.

'I'm pregnant.' She repeated, less sure of herself after seeing Emma's face go completely slack.

'You're – you're-' Emma looked at her stomach, and Regina had to resist the urge to turn away. 'Really?'

She nodded. 'Whale told me yesterday morning. I went and got tests, then I made an appointment with an OB to test again. I'm going in for my prenatal appointment in a few hours. Or whatever it's called, I'm not quite sure. I'm still…'

'I kinda thought that you, you know, couldn't-'

'I can't. But I am.'

'Wow. You – you're not even showing.' Emma remarked, unable to resist looking at the woman's midriff.

'Not yet.'

'Do you know how far along you are?'

'No idea.'

'Oh. So you had no idea until you went in yesterday? How long have you been uh having symptoms?' Emma wondered, thinking of how long Regina might have been in this condition.

'I didn't even know I was. I've been lightheaded recently,-'

'How recently?'

'A few months.'

'Oh, what about morning sickness?'

'I've been a little nauseous sure, but that's been at all times, and it's more not wanting to eat anything than throwing up.'

'And you've been having cravings.' Emma remarked.

'Why would you think that?' she wondered how Emma could have possibly figured that one out.

'When was the last time you ate almost a pint of chocolate ice cream?' she asked, trying not to smirk.

'You offered it, and we shared it-' she protested it, and Emma didn't fight her on it.

'And morning sickness isn't just in the morning. With Henry I remember it was all the time.' Emma recalled, thinking back to not being able to keep anything down. She had assumed the quality of the prison food was responsible until finding out otherwise.

'I see.'

'You really had no idea?'

'No, I –' Regina was about to say how she was so sure, but something about discussing her sex life, or lack thereof, seemed odd when what she had with Emma was still so new. 'I don't. I've been so emotional, too, lately. It's almost a relief.'

'What do you mean?'

'To know that it isn't for no reason. That there's an explanation.'

'Oh.'

'Yes.'

'Uh- congratulations.' Emma smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Regina wished she knew what to say to the woman. 'Thank you.'

'Thank you for telling me.' Emma added awkwardly to fill the silence.

'You're the first person I've told, actually.' She admitted.

'Really?'

'Yes, and if you don't mind, I'd rather not have anyone else know for a while.'

'Sure, I get that, and don't worry, your secret's safe with me.' She smiled

'Thank you.'

'Is there – I don't know, anything you need, anything I can get for you?'

'Would you come with me?' she blurted out, and she instantly hated how desperate and needy she sounded. It was ridiculous. 'To the appointment? I know it's short notice, but, it would be nice to have someone else there, who has been through this before. I have no idea…' she trailed off and took a deep breath. She could feel her throat tightening, as it had several times already today, when she was feeling overwhelmed. This whole thing has come out of nowhere and she didn't know how to begin to handle it.

'Yeah, of course I'll go with you. It's been a while, but of course I'll go with you.'

'Thank you.'

* * *

The doctor's waiting room was nice. Or at least it was as nice as it could be. Regina really looked around when she was there for the second time that day. Earlier, she hadn't noticed much of anything she was so nervous. But now, she was slightly less nervous. There were posters of happy mothers and fathers, with pregnant bellies and smiling babies. Before long, she noticed Emma reading several pamphlets she had selected.

'Find some interesting reading?' Regina asked, having spent a good part of her day doing some reading of her own online.

'Actually, yeah. When I was pregnant with Henry, I had no idea about any of this stuff.'

'Really?'

Emma chuckled. 'I was in prison, after a life in and out of foster care and living in the back of my bug. All I knew about pregnancy was that if you don't wear a condom, nine months later, you might be in a delivery room. Everything else was a delightful surprise.' She said, not even looking up from a brochure about nutrition. 'Did you know you aren't supposed to eat pretty much any wild fish?'

'Mercury.' She shrugged.

'Huh. Not that I was at any risk of eating fresh fish in prison.' She chuckled.

Regina noticed Emma, really looked at how calm she seemed to be. Although the woman absolutely did take after her charming parents, Emma came through when it mattered. And right now, in the waiting room for her first pregnancy appointment that she never thought she would have, it mattered. And Emma was right there by her side.

'Regina Mills?' the nurse called and they both got up. 'Madame Mayor, good to see you again.'

'Please, Regina is fine.' She insisted. She certainly didn't feel like the mayor now.

'And Sheriff.' She said, though she was obviously not expecting the blonde. 'Welcome. Please, take the brochures with you, we encourage all expectant parents to stay as informed as they can be.'

Emma's eyes went wide, and she opened her mouth to say something, but before she could figure out what, the moment was gone and they were escorted to a waiting room.

'If you will make yourself comfortable, Regina, Dr. Cardenas will be in shortly.'

'Hey,' Emma said. 'It'll be ok.'

'You said that yesterday and now I'm pregnant.' She grumbled as she sat in the exam chair.

'And your baby is going to be fine. It is going to be ok.'

'We'll see.' She compromised. There was a part of her that still wasn't sure. That wouldn't be sure until she saw her baby on an ultrasound. And maybe not even then.

The door opened, 'Regina, good to see you again. Sheriff.' The doctor greeted, sounding surprised, 'Today we're going to go over your medical history, as much of it as we have, do an examination, and then do an ultra sound so you can maybe see your baby for the first time, make sure everything's healthy and get an estimate of how old they are. Now how are you feeling today?'

'I don't know. It's been a lot to take in.' she admitted. In one day her life had changed completely.

'And you mentioned this morning that you didn't think you could get pregnant.'

'That's correct. I – took a potion that made me infertile. In the Enchanted Forest, years before the curse. It was effective, until now.'

'I see. And do you know why it stopped working?'

She shook her head.

'That's alright. We'll just make sure that they're healthy.'

As the doctor talked with Regina about her health history, Emma began to think about the whole situation. She tried not to think about it during the appointment, but she couldn't help it, there were so many questions she had. How did she break whatever curse she put on herself? She seemed to be oblivious, how could she not know? Was it True Love's kiss with Robin somehow? If it was, why didn't she get pregnant with him? As these thoughts were swirling around her head, Emma tried to keep focused on why she was there, to support Regina. When the doctor examined her to make sure there was no bleeding or signs of distress from the fall, Emma sat by her and held her hand, though Regina seemed to tense at first. Before she knew it, the doctor told Regina she looked perfectly healthy and wheeled over a machine from the side of the room.

'Alright, if you'll just lean back, we'll do the ultrasound and see if we can get a look at your baby. Don't be worried if we can't find them, or if we can't hear a heartbeat. We can't always find them when they're younger so don't worry if we don't see anything until the next visit.' She said as she set up the machine and slathered the gel on Regina's flat stomach. When it was bare, Emma still couldn't see a bump.

'Oh.' Said when the doctor applied the gel.

'Yes, it's usually cold.' She moved the wand around and looked at the machine. It looked like nothing to Regina and Emma. 'Oh – look what we have here!' she said and centered a little blob on the center of the screen.

'Is that?' Regina asked breathlessly, looking at the little flickering blob. It looked more like a little wiggly bean than anything, but to her it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever lay her eyes on.

'It is.' The doctor confirmed with a wide smile. 'That's your baby. There's the head right there, and the body, and the arms and legs.' She pointed with her other hand.

'My baby.' Regina said, and when she looked at the screen, it felt real for the first time since she found out the news. It really was there, it wasn't an error in the tests, there was her baby, on the screen.

'And it looks to be about 12-13 weeks along.'

'Three months?'

'Yes.'

'Wow, so in six months, you're going to have a baby?' Emma asked, not able to take her eyes away from the screen.

'Just about.' The doctor confirmed. 'And looks healthy, too, so far. Whatever curse you say you were under, it's gone now.'

* * *

Regina had invited herself over to her sister's for dinner that night. She needed to tell her also, but was having trouble finding the words. So she didn't. She was stilted through a delicious dinner, making small talk, but otherwise not hiding how distracted she was very well.

Finally, when they were about to do the dishes, Zelena had enough. 'Alright, now what's going on?' Zelena asked.

'What?'

'You've been too quiet all night after inviting yourself over which you never do the same day, and I know it's something to do with your little blackout, isn't it?'

'You're right, there is something that I need to tell you. When I went to the hospital, the doctor also found out that I was' she took a deep breath, 'that I am pregnant.'

'You're what?'

'I'm pregnant.'

'You're sure?'

'Saw the ultrasound this afternoon.' she took the picture out of her purse and showed it to her sister.

'Fantastic! Congratulations!' she practically screeched after taking a moment for the news to really set in, getting up and giving Regina an enthusiastic hug, holding her a little tighter than her sister would have preferred.

'Thank you.'

'You don't sound too happy about it?' she scoffed. 'The way you've been all night, I thought you were ill or something.'

'It's a lot to get used to. It's something I wanted for so long, but didn't think I could have. And now out of the blue, I bump my head and find out I'm three months pregnant.'

'Three months? You're going to start showing soon.'

'I know.'

'So how did you break the curse?'

'Huh?'

'The one you put on yourself, to keep you from-'

'I didn't.'

'Then how?'

'I have no idea.' She said truthfully, 'I was hoping that you might know something, or help me figure it out.'

'So you weren't trying to-'

'No! I haven't been dating anyone, and even if I was trying to conceive alone, I would have at least mentioned it.'

'So what happened?'

'I just said I don't know how I broke the magic.'

'No, I meant, who's the father?'

'Father.' She repeated. She had been so busy thinking about how impossible it was for her to get pregnant, she hadn't considered the other source of her child's DNA. 'I don't know.' she admitted quietly, sounding defeated.

'Oh-'

'No, not like that, I mean that I haven't done anything that could have got me pregnant since Robin. And certainly not three months ago.' She scoffed.

'Hmm. Well babies don't just come out of thin air.' She remarked.

'No they don't.' Regina agreed.

'You're sure-' she began again.

'Yes.'

'Alright. You haven't even done any magic that would explain-'

'Do you know how much work it takes to conceive a magical baby?'

'No, I don't.' she shrugged.

'It's quite a bit, and isn't anything accidental.' Regina hoped she would take her answer at face value, she really didn't feel like going into her past with a certain dragon who had entertained the notion more seriously than Regina would have liked.

'Not even with the sheriff?' she smirked.

'No.' she said pointedly. 'It's a complete and total surprise.'

'And with no idea who fathered the little bun in your oven?'

'No.'

'Alright, alright.' Zelena said, she knew that it would eventually come out. 'Tell me about your appointment.'

'The doctor was surprisingly helpful, and whatever we asked, she knew the answer.'

'We?'

'We – I meant to say I.' Regina lied, and her sister could see right through it, looking at her with raised eyebrows until she continued. 'I was nervous, and Emma was already in my office and she's been pregnant before, so I asked if she would go with me.'

'Right, because you don't have another family member who was pregnant more recently than 17 years ago and in prison.'

'Emma sped up your pregnancy, you didn't really experience the whole thing.'

'She did.'

'I don't know, I just-'

'Listen you don't have to explain anything to me. I want to be there for you, however you need me to be.'

'I wasn't very supportive of you.'

'It is a little different isn't it? Unless Hades is the father.' She teased.

Regina actually laughed. 'No, that I am sure of. There is something else I should probably tell you.'

'Other than a surprise pregnancy? Should I sit down?'

'It's about Emma.'

'What about your Savior?'

'We kissed. Twice.' Regina couldn't stop herself from smiling a little as she thought about it.

'After your dinner? I knew that dress would work.'

'And at my office the other day.'

'Oh! Finally.' She grinned, but then her face fell. 'Oh, and now you're pregnant.'

'That might put a damper on things.' Regina said. She didn't want to think about it, but it was the truth.

'I'm afraid it might.'

'Well she went with you to the appointment didn't she? That's a good sign.'

'Yes, but-'

'Does she know that there is no possible father?'

'It didn't come up.'

'Maybe you should have a talk about it, and while you're at it have an actual discussion about where you see things going.'

'That's just it – I wasn't sure before, and now with this – I just don't know.'

'I see, that might be a bit overwhelming. You don't have to call her now, just think about it, alright?'

'Alright.'

Zelena smiled. They were interrupted by the sound of chickens clucking. They were running frantically in their enclosure in the front yard. 'Huh, sounds like they're outside. That's not possible, I put them in right before you came over.'

'Well they're not in anymore.'

'Shit, it could be a dog or something.'

They both went out into the yard, the chickens were running around frantically, but there was not a predator in sight.

'I don't see anything.'

'Neither do I, what are they doing?'

'They're dumb animals, what do they know?' Regina said dismissively.

'They are not! They've never done something like this- they're so docile I don't know what would make them-' she stopped when she sensed it. A deep magic all around them surrounding them. 'Do you feel that?'

'Yes.' Regina looked around them to try and find the source, seeing no one.

'What is it?'

'I don't know, but I've felt it before.' Regina said just before winds swept up from around them, from the ground up toward the sky. By the time the women were able to hold their hair back to see there was a dark storm cloud swirling around above them, just them. A few more seconds was all it took for thunder to wrack the sky, lightening to strike a tree, and the heavens to open up above them, soaking them to their skin almost instantly.

About as soon as it happened, Regina apparated both women inside on instinct, forgetting that maybe she shouldn't do as much magic when she was pregnant.

'What the fuck was that?' Zelena asked after she magically dried them and changed them into clean clothes.

'I have no idea.' Regina went to the window and looked out to see that the storm appeared to be just above Zelena's property. 'Look, it's just over you, nothing else it doesn't look like.'

'Fantastic.' Zelena said sarcastically.

'And I should ask you, do you know whether it's safe to do magic when you're pregnant?'

'It's a magic baby Regina, it has to be, I think you're fine.'

'I don't know that's true-'

'I did with Robyn, I looked through all mother's books when I found out and there was nothing about witches suffering ill effects from doing magic while pregnant.'

That did comfort her some, but she wanted to be on the safe side.

'That was some powerful magic.' Zelena remarked

'It was, the same that I've sensed around recently. Do you recognize it?'

'Yes, I do, though I don't know its origin. I encountered it before, I don't remember in what realm, but I'll think about it.'

'Thank you.' Regina said and surveyed the torrential downpour. 'How long do you think it'll last?'

'Not sure, I magicked the chickens into the basement just in case.' Regina made a face, but didn't comment. 'I can clean up with the wave of my hand in the morning.'

'I think I should stay the night with you if you don't mind.'

'You don't think it dangerous, do you?'

'I don't know what to think, except that if something else happens, I'd rather two witches to look after my niece than one, even given my condition.'

'What about Henry?'

'He's at Emma's tonight.'

The sisters stayed up through the storm, drinking hot chocolate, which Regina craved all of the sudden, and talking about Zelena's brief pregnancy, as well as what she knew about it generally. Which ended up being quite a bit. She had pretended to be a midwife when she came to this realm, after all.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Still don't own recognizable characters/etc from OUAT, all mistakes are mine.**

* * *

Emma was glad that her mom had asked her to watch Neal, it was a good excuse to look through all her pregnancy and baby books she purchased in haste after coming back to Storybrooke very pregnant. The amount of information was incredible, and it was all new to Emma. Well not exactly new, but she was finally understanding what she herself had gone through all those years ago with Henry. It felt like another lifetime and in a sense, it was. She had just been a frightened, confused girl, all alone while her body went through this massive transformation she didn't understand. Now, she knew that there was a reason that sometimes she couldn't seem to remember what she had eaten for breakfast, or why her feet barely fir in her shoes. All too soon, she heard the key in the lock that signified her mother was back at the loft and that Emma's reading was over for now.

She carefully placed the books back on the shelf, just as they were before her mom came into the room. 'Hey Mom, how was yoga?'

'Great, I really needed it after this week, thanks for babysitting your little brother.'

'We had a great time, huh, little bro.' Emma poked his tummy while he was hugging Snow.

'We played outside, and watched Mulan's movie, and Emma was reading the baby books.' He listed proudly.

Snow and Emma froze.

'You were?' Snow asked Emma, her voice barely rising above a whisper, as if it were an accusation. Which it might as well have been.

Emma shrugged, as if reading books about pregnancy were a normal thing for someone to do while they were babysitting.

'Any particular reason?' she asked, her voice forced calm.

'Not the usual one. Well, not really.' She laughed, but Snow just looked at her. 'A friend, one of the deputies is pregnant – but she's not telling people yet, so I can't tell you who.'

'That's great for her,' she smiled, but was still suspicious of her daughter's explanation, 'but if your deputy is pregnant, why are you reading the books?'

'Got me thinking.' She shrugged. 'I had no idea what was going on with Henry and I was curious. It's pretty fascinating stuff.'

'Uh huh.' Snow agreed, but Emma knew that she was still thinking, and that she still suspected that there was more to the explanation.

'Mom, please don't make this a big deal, I promise it isn't.' Emma reassured. It was a HUGE deal, but she didn't have to ask Regina to know that she wasn't ready to tell Snow that she was expecting. 'And I promise most of all that you're not getting another grandchild anytime soon. Ok?'

She nodded. 'Ok. I'll, I'll, just let it go, for now.' She amended, and Emma nodded, knowing that was the best she was likely to get.

* * *

Later that week, she went over to Regina's while Henry was out with friends, hoping that she would get a chance to really talk to her. Enough to see how she was holding up and if there was anything that Emma could do. Regina tended to distance herself when she felt vulnerable or threatened, she needed space. But Emma also wanted her to know that she would be there for her when she needed her. She knew from experience that unexpected pregnancy was

Regina was surprised when she answered the door, she wasn't expecting Emma to be carrying a cardboard box. 'Emma what are you-'

'So, I know this baby is a huge adjustment, and I thought that I might get you a few things. That would have been nice to have with Henry.'

'That's very thoughtful of you but it's not necessary-'Regina said. Lately, seeing Emma caused all kinds of embarrassing reactions, blushing, feeling nervous, losing her train of thought, especially when she wasn't expecting it.

'Before you refuse, it includes ice cream.' Emma held up a grocery bag with several pints of chocolatey frozen goodness.

'That was one time.' She countered, her eyes glued to the bag as it swung gently from Emma's hand.

'So you don't want it?' Emma teased. 'I can take it home if you won't eat it. Wouldn't want it to go to waste.'

'I think I'll keep it here, just in case I have a craving.' Regina said as she grabbed the bag and ushered Emma inside. 'What's in here?' she asked, eyeing the box warily, for a moment causing Emma to second guess herself whether it had been a good idea or whether she would be overwhelming her.

'Some cocoa butter, heating pad – you probly won't need that right away, it'll be a while before they're big enough to make your back hurt. And I know you love your heels, but in a few months, you might want something a little more comfortable that you can slip on,' she held up a pair of fuzzy soft slippers that looked comfortable, and something that Regina wouldn't be caught dead wearing.

'Thank you, Emma, this is very thoughtful.' Regina was touched that Emma had done this for her. Researched what she might need and gone through the trouble of getting it for her. But there was something that had been nagging at the woman since she had told Emma about the baby.

'You're welcome, I haven't seen you in a while and wanted to come by, see how you've been.'

'Fine.'

'Fine? Really?' Emma tried to ask gently.

'As well as can be expected, I suppose.' She admitted. 'I still can't wrap my head around it, sometimes. That there's this –' she couldn't call it a baby, not yet. 'growing inside me.'

'It's pretty great huh?' Emma smiled at her and looked to her stomach.

'Hmm.' She agreed. 'Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee, tea?'

'Do you have any hot chocolate?' she asked almost timidly.

'Yes, I was just about to make some for myself actually. I know it's full of sugar, but the baby can't seem to get enough.'

Emma smiled. Of course Regina would blame her cravings on her unborn child.

As Regina was making the drink, she thought of something that had been nagging at her since she told Emma. Their relationship had just changed into something romantic when she had found out about the baby. And Emma hadn't said a word. Most people would have had a different reaction, any kind of reaction. But Emma had just gone on like nothing had changed. Except for the fact that there had been no more romance either. Regina knew she had responsibility for that too of course, but Emma's response was just odd. She had just been about as supportive as could be. Including showing up with chocolate ice cream and comfortable slippers for no reason other than she thought Regina might like them. What she really worried about was that Emma's lack of inquiry meant that she didn't want anything romantic with her anymore. 'You haven't asked me who the father is.' she said with her back turned, as Emma reached into the box to show her something else. The instant the words came out of her mouth and were met with silence, she knew there were probably about a million better ways to get at what she wanted to know, but she couldn't help it.

'No, I haven't.' she agreed. Emma wasn't prepared to talk to her about this. Not yet.

'You don't want to know?' Regina asked, curious.

'I figured it isn't really my business. And if you want me to know, you'll tell me when you're ready.' Emma said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Of course she wanted to know. Several times since she found out Regina was pregnant, her mind had wandered to just how she had gotten that way, who else was responsible. When she started to think about it, she got upset, angry, hurt and something else she couldn't quite figure out, all at once.

'You don't think it's your business?' Regina asked in a tone that Emma couldn't read.

Emma sighed, 'Look, I don't know what you want me to say. I don't want to push you or whatever, I'm just trying to be supportive, without I don't know, making things more complicated or making you talk and explain things you'd rather not.'

'Oh. Ok.'

Whatever the right answer was, she could tell that wasn't it. 'You know with Robin gone, and everything, I'm not going to judge you for uh putting yourself back out there- ugh, terrible choice of words, sorry.' Emma winced and looked out the window, by now she could feel that her face was bright red, whether from embarrassment or being upset. She didn't want to think about that let alone have to talk to Regina about it. 'And whether he's someone who is going to be in the baby's life – or in your life – or not, you'll have people who will help you and be there for you.'

Regina laughed, she actually laughed, long enough for Emma to get nervous. 'I haven't been putting myself anywhere. There is no father. I haven't - since Robin, and that's been far too long to be responsible for this. I'm not even showing yet. My infertility isn't the only reason this should be impossible.'

'But that's what it is, right? There's no other possibility.' Emma said, talking to herself more than anything else as she sipped on the hot beverage.

'There is always one other explanation, magic.' Regina said.

'Magic? Magic can create a baby?' Emma's face twisted in confusion in a way Regina had to admit was adorable.

'It can help with conception yes. I am not aware of any method by which that can happen without my knowledge and participation, but it seems like the only possibility, doesn't it?'

'So, there is no, father. You don't know how it happened?' Emma reiterated.

'No.' she said, looking into Emma's eyes, trying to convey as much sincerity as she could.

'Wow, how are you not freaking out?' Emma said, her tone more distressed than Regina's.

That wasn't the response she had been expecting, 'Oh, I have been.'

'If it were me, I wouldn't be able to just stand here and talk to you about it.'

'It is a lot.' Regina admitted.

'Well, whatever's going on, I'm going to be here for you, however you need me to be, ok?' Emma said as she walked around the counter, reached her arms around the brunette and held the woman tight. Regina had no idea what Emma meant and after a moment melting into Emma's embrace, pulled away to ask her, when Emma said. 'If you think it's magical, you're going to go ask Gold or something, then? See if he knows anything helpful?'

'I probably should.' She relented.

'He's been around a while and does know a lot about magic. There's a good chance he'd know something about whatever's happening here.'

'Would you come with me?' She said softly.

'Sure, of course. I mean it, anything you need me to be there for I'm there. Promise. But look, if he had anything to do with this, it's not good.'

'I know.' she sighed.

'No, I didn't mean it like that. This, is amazing.' Emma said looking at her stomach, but the smile Emma gave didn't look completely sincere. It was too broad and showed too much of her teeth. 'But he is a monster that has betrayed us more times than I can count. I don't know what he would have planned that involves you being pregnant, or if he's not involved, that he should be trusted with this.'

'If there is something magical going on, don't you think it's better to know sooner rather than later? It's already been several months.' Regina said quietly, not quite comfortable with it herself. 'Before long I'm going to start showing, and-' she trailed off and took a deep breath, she didn't want to think about everything else yet, telling everyone, putting in a nursery at the mansion, 'I'd like to know if there's anything else I should be preparing for.'

'I guess you're right.'

'But, I – do you mind if we wait a bit to go see him? I just don't know if I'm-'

'Whenever you want. When you're ready, just let me know when and I'll be there.' Emma said and pulled her into an embrace again.

* * *

'Hey.' Emma answered Henry's call. It was odd that he called her, he usually texted.

'Ma?' he said, his voice sounding more strained than usual.

'Yeah, what's up.'

'Can you come over to Mom's house.'

'What's wrong?' Emma was already grabbing her jacket and keys.

'Nothing- I mean not anything that's dangerous right now, but-' he stopped, not wanting to break his promise to his mom directly.

'What's going on? Are you ok? Is Regina ok?' Emma spoke quickly.

'We're fine, but, ugh, she didn't want to tell you, but can you just think of an excuse to come over? Please?' he asked, that wasn't really telling her if he got her to come over and she just figured it out, was it?

'Sure.' She agreed instantly.

Emma didn't think of an excuse, all she could think of was all the dangers that could be threatening her family at 108 Mifflin and poofed right to the porch. She knocked at the door nearly out of breath.

'Emma?' Regina asked, clearly not expecting her. 'Come in, what brings you by?'

'I uh, well, I was in the neighborhood and well-' Emma rambled, wishing that she had taken a moment to think, before coming here to a confused pregnant woman

'Hey Ma!' Henry greeted eagerly from the stairs.

Regina looked between her son and his other mother, their shared apprehension, and figured out what was going on. 'Oh, I see. Henry, I told you it was nothing to worry about and that there was no need to call your mother.'

'But Mom-' he protested, his voice going up higher than it usually was.

'Henry-' Regina answered firmly, she wasn't going to budge, Emma could tell.

'Gina, please, the kid's worried, now that I'm here anyway, would you just tell me whatever is going on, for his peace of mind? Please?'

'Join me in the study?' Regina asked, though Emma knew that it wasn't really a question. 'You need to go to bed. I will talk with Emma.'

'So, what's Henry freaked out about?' Emma asked, pouring herself two fingers of scotch from the bar.

'When he came home about a half hour ago, there was something by the gate out front.' She said slowly. Emma tended to be a bit dramatic at times, and Regina wanted to ease her into it.

'Oh?'

Regina gestured to a basket on her end table. It contained an assortment of what looked like colorful handpicked flowers and fruits.

'What the shit is this?' Emma asked, more confused than anything. It looked like an odd gift basket. It was well put together, even if it was clearly not professional. It was the kind of thing that could be considered a romantic gift, Emma thought, as she almost glared at the gift.

'I don't know. But I don't think it's anything to worry about, like Henry does.'

'You don't have any idea who would give you something like this?' Emma asked, then ventured, 'no secret admirer or anything?'

'No, believe me, Emma. I know that everyone in town trusts me, that a lot of them see me as the Evil Queen, and maybe they always will.'

'And you don't see that as something to be concerned about?' Emma said gently. She didn't want to give Regina another thing to worry about, but she wasn't as willing to dismiss this as Regina was.

'I know there are some who might wish me harm, but I don't think this is dangerous. I'm not going to eat any of it.'

'Someone came to your house though, and put this here. And now, it's in your house.'

'You can take it and destroy it if you wish.' She said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

'I will.' Emma decided. 'You really aren't worried about this?'

'No.' she said confidently, Emma could tell she was being honest. 'I'm no fool, I know there's always a chance that someone will try to do something stupid.'

'There seems to be a lot of that going around lately since these people came to town.' Emma grumbled, thinking already of who else might be interested in Regina.

'But, this seems relatively harmless. There are no enchantments that I can detect. It might be poisoned, but as long as we don't eat it, I don't see the harm.' She said as casually as she could.

'But Henry- he's been through a lot. You understand how this kind of thing would freak him out, right?'

'Yes, and I hate that my past continues to affect him.' She said quietly.

'It's fine, I'll tell him that I've made a report and that I'm going to have whoever is on nights pass by here on their patrol. That should be enough, I mean, it's just a crappy gift basket.' Emma resolved, glaring at the offending object.

'Thank you.' Regina sighed, relieved that Emma wasn't making a big deal out of it.

'You really aren't worried?' Emma asked again.

'No.'

'Ok.'

'Thank you, Emma, for coming by. Even though it wasn't necessary, I do appreciate your concern.'

'Just doing my job.'

'Well then thank you for doing your job.' Regina said to fill the silence.

She could tell that their conversation was over. Her drink was gone, it was late, and Regina looked tired. It was time for her to go. But something felt unfinished, there had been something lingering unsaid between them since Regina had found out about her pregnancy, but Emma couldn't put her finger on it. 'And if anything changes, you'll tell me?'

'Yes.'

Emma got a text from Henry after she got home asking her what she thought. She responded "just talked to your Mom, doesn't seem serious. Hopefully it was just a prank or something, but I'm going to make a report and have the deputy on duty stop by at night when they're on patrol, in case whoever it is shows up again so we'll know who it is at least"

Henry responded almost instantly: "in case they show up again? Why would they stop now?"

Emma's heart sunk. She knew that she had to talk to Regina about it. And that sending a deputy by a few times a night probably wouldn't solve it. Tomorrow, she would set up a video camera to catch the creepy bastard in the act.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I know Regina and Emma are still on kind of uncertain terms as far as the romantic aspect of their relationship, but I think realistically, a surprise pregnancy would result in a little uncertainty in a new relationship. But it won't last long. And thank you for reading/ favoriting/following and especially reviewing! I think I mention this every update so you're probably tired of reading it, but I really do love hearing your reactions, thoughts, ideas, they give me inspiration and perspective.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This chapter was one of my favorites to write, because I've been wanting to write it for so long!**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, still only do this for my own enjoyment, and hopefully yours too.**

* * *

Regina had waited a while to meet with Gold. She knew that Emma was right, and the Imp's knowledge of any dark creepy magic that could get someone unwittingly pregnant was second to none. But she still couldn't rid herself completely of the apprehension that she felt whenever she consulted him. Going to his shop with Emma was easier than going alone, but she wasn't looking forward to it. Just about the last thing she wanted to do was go around town discussing her personal life.

She had decided to finally go after feeling the baby move for the first time. It felt like a little flutter against her stomach. She called Emma right away, because who else would she call? But neither of them could feel it from the outside, just herself. And then for whatever reason she almost cried, and embarrassed herself in front of the sheriff, who couldn't look happier herself. Ever since Regina told her about the baby, the sheriff had been every bit the supportive partner. Well, in every way except romantically. Which was driving her crazy. It seemed like everyday there had been something that made this whole thing that much more real. There had been the day she hadn't even been close to fitting into the only pair of jeans she owned. Most of her wardrobe now had grown a bit too snug for comfort. Thankfully there was enough that still fit that she didn't need to go shopping for maternity clothes just yet. And it seemed like she craved something different everyday. Mostly sweets, which she hardly touched before, but couldn't make herself abstain from any longer.

As they entered Gold's shop, the familiar bell signaled their entry and was soon followed by Gold appearing from the back of his shop, smiling politely when he saw his guests. 'Ah, Madame Mayor, Sheriff Swan, what brings you by this lovely morning?' Gold asked.

After a brief glance toward Regina, Emma decided she should just be direct and to the point. 'We were wondering if there were any ways to uh become pregnant, magically.' Emma asked straight away.

The polite smile dropped from Rumple's face and he looked between the two women. 'There are a few methods that can combine the DNA from any two individuals to create life yes. Regina, I'm surprised you came to me for this, you are well aware of how to-'

'Gold- that isn't what she means.' Regina cut him off sternly, she didn't want to veer off to that particular topic when Emma was there.

'Oh, sorry, dearie.' He said. 'What do you mean then, exactly?'

'Is there any way that magic can uh impregnate someone without their doing anything that usually results in uh pregnancy, or knowing about it?' Emma rephrased, trying to explain as best she could.

Gold took a moment to think. 'That's impossible, as far as I know. That could never happen.' He said dismissively.

'But it has!' she said firmly.

He seemed taken aback for a second, in his mind the woman's passionate denial could only mean one thing. 'Not unless you're the Virgin Mary Miss Swan.' He smirked.

' _I'm_ not-' Emma started but realized her mistake too late.

The shopkeeper's eyes grew wide and he smiled at Regina, who looked more guilty than she would have liked. 'You don't say.'

'Gold, it really isn't any of your-' Emma began before being interrupted by the man.

'Now, now, I mean no ill-will, the last thing I want is to irritate you when you're pregnant. You're difficult enough when you're not about to bring unexplained magical life into the world. But I am being honest when tell you that there isn't any way that I know of to magically impregnate someone from afar and without their knowledge. There must be something else at play.' He took a moment to ponder some scenarios, 'When you were the Dark One, Miss Swan you were able to speed up Zelena's pregnancy, but that was when she was already pregnant. Have you time traveled recently?'

'No.' Regina said firmly.

'Hmm. Have you done anything since the baby was allegedly conceived that could have resulted in pregnancy?'

'No.' she said again.

'Are there periods of time you can't account for?'

'No.' she repeated.

'Or amnesia perhaps?'

'No.' her voice was firm, his line of questioning ridiculous.

'Unusual, or unexplained behavior on your part, as if you're not in control of your own body?'

She rolled her eyes. 'I haven't been possessed.'

He looked deep in thought, making sure he didn't leave out anything, 'You're sure.'

'Yes.' She said through gritted teeth.

'Then I'm afraid I cannot help you. I do wish you the best of luck in finding out the source of your offspring, Your Majesty, and congratulations! I'll keep thinking about it, but I doubt that I'll be able to find an explanation to your predicament.'

Regina wasn't comfortable with him calling it that. A predicament was something that needed to be resolved, and this was anything but. It was a miracle. It could not have been more unexpected, but her child was far from unwanted.

Emma was more than a little disappointed with their visit. She knew that not knowing what had happened to her own body was taking an emotional toll on Regina, and if Gold didn't know, their chances of finding out what was going on had just gone way down.

'I think we should go see the fairies.' Emma said in the car, knowing that Regina would be against it.

'Absolutely not.' She answered immediately, not even giving the suggestion a thought.

'Please just hear me out.'

'I'm not going to see the nuns.' Regina said, raising her voice.

'This, however this happened, I know that your first thought was that someone did this with not the best intentions. But you have no idea what's going on, Gold doesn't know, I don't have a clue. We should maybe start considering other possibilities.'

'What do you mean?'

'I think, well we know that Gold doesn't know what happened, you don't either. Maybe this was light magic. And the former Dark One isn't who you go to for that.'

Regina drove in silence for a while. 'I don't trust them, Emma. They have hated me my whole life because of my mother and then what happened with Tinkerbelle. Even if they have an answer, they won't help me.'

'That's what you're worried about?' Emma asked. 'that if they know what happened they won't tell you because it's you?'

'Yes. If I go in there and ask Blue why I'm pregnant, she'll probably just call me a whore and throw me out.' Regina could practically see it happening already.

'Well, that's simple, we'll tell them it's me.' She grinned.

'I don't like this.' She mumbled.

'You know I don't trust them completely either, right? But wouldn't this be a little easier if you knew what the hell was going on.'

'Fine.' Regina agreed, unable to resist Emma's pleading. She blamed the baby. Between her nausea and how tired she felt generally, she just didn't have it in her to fight the blonde the way she usually did. 'But not today, I need some time to prepare so I don't fireball the fairy when she proves to be just as useless as she always is.'

'Fair enough.' Emma chuckled. 'Just tell me when.'

* * *

Emma went to the diner to pick up her and Regina's order for lunch. She found it amusing that as healthy as the mayor was trying to eat in her pregnancy, every once in a while she would ask Emma to bring her something that she wouldn't even think of eating normally. The other day it had been peanut butter and strawberry ice cream, and today for lunch, it was a juicy cheese burger, with a side salad instead of fries. Though Emma suspected that she might steal a few of her fries anyway.

'Here's your order.' Ruby said. 'Another "working lunch" with our Madame Mayor?'

'Why do you say it like that?' Emma asked. 'And yes.'

'Like what?' she said with faux innocence.

'I dunno, like there's something wrong with eating lunch with a friend and colleague.'

'Of course there isn't.' Ruby agreed. 'You work together, share a son, you even get along now. Buuut'

'No, no but.'

'It just seems like you've been doing a lot for her lately.' Ruby said gently.

Emma shrugged. 'Picking up lunch a few times a week is hardly a lot.' Emma defended. 'Especially when she insists on paying most of the time.' Emma said, Ruby didn't know anything beyond that, and that would only make her look worse.

'I just-' Ruby began, trying to decide if it was worth finishing her thought. 'It seems a little one sided, what you're doing for her is all.'

'What?'

Ruby came closer, so that they would be less likely to be overheard. 'I see the way you look at her and the way you look when you talk about her.'

'The way I look at her?'

'Look, I just don't want you to get hurt.'

'She wouldn't hurt me.' Emma scoffed.

'Not on purpose, no, but I just don't want you hoping for something she's not going to give you, that's all. It's just going to make working with her and seeing her everyday that much harder, trust me.'

'You think that I? Whatever, I'm just gonna-' she grabbed the bag and left.

Emma told herself that Ruby was misunderstanding things because she didn't know that Regina was pregnant. Of course it would look like she was just running around like a lovesick puppy, but she wasn't. She was helping her friend. And yeah sure they had started something that Emma very much wanted to continue, but it had gotten complicated in a way that Ruby didn't understand.

But there was something about what she said that stuck with her and lingered in the back of her mind. Ruby didn't know anything about their relationship and still saw feelings that were one sided. The doubt that Regina still felt anything romantic for her lingered, no matter how much Emma tried to forget it. She reminded herself repeatedly that it didn't matter if Ruby was right because Regina had a lot to deal with, and she needed her, and Emma cared for her, she was going to be there no matter what. And she wasn't going to go complicate things with Regina for the sake of her own clarity. It seemed selfish, at least now. All Regina's life she had been manipulated and used as a pawn by those around her whom she should have been able to trust. Though her feelings for her friend were far from anything Rumple or Cora or even her own grandfather did, the last thing Emma wanted was to be one more person who wanted to use Regina for their own ends. Now more than ever, Regina deserved someone who would give her what she wanted and needed. And right now, Emma wasn't sure whether their beginnings of romance was even on her mind.

* * *

Regina was nervous. This was the first town council meeting since she had found out she was expecting. Of course she was prepared, just as she always was, but it seemed so trivial to her now. For decades, she had thought of nothing other than revenge, making people miserable, and after the curse broke, how to hold on to her power, or how to save everyone, or how to run the town. But everything had changed just few weeks ago. She didn't really care about her job the way she always had, her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of her baby, and of Emma. Things between them had remained uncertain. Well, not uncertain. Emma had been amazingly supportive. But nothing more. Which is what Regina wanted. She couldn't stop thinking about the woman. How every time Emma brought her lunch or went by the mansion, all she wanted to do was throw her arms around the woman and kiss her senseless, as Emma had done to her far too long ago.

And it didn't help that Emma was there for the meeting either, in her capacity as the sheriff. She was wearing her uniform and everything, and it was quite distracting. While her mind should have stayed on walking the Town Council through the budget reports, and the progress made on building the extension of the town for the new residents, she kept getting distracted by that blonde hair. Wondering what she was thinking about, whether Emma thought about her as much as she thought about Emma. She felt like a love sick teenager and it was driving her crazy.

She needed to discern the blonde's feelings and intentions, one way or another. Lately she had been dressing more conservatively than normal, to hide her slightly growing figure. But not tonight. To the meeting she wore a tight skirt and a low cut blouse, showing off more of her cleavage than she had in weeks. Just as she had hoped, Emma noticed. Nearly every time Regina glanced at her, she could see Emma's eyes quickly dart up to meet her own, and it took a bit of poise for the former queen not to smirk at how obvious Emma was being. And it wasn't just at the beginning of the meeting either, her eyes wandered just as much at the end as when she first caught sight of her.

Just as Regina was about to segue to the end of her presentation, she felt a breeze. It was strong enough to move her hair, but the windows and doors in the room were closed, and there was no need for heating or air conditioning on this temperate evening. She saw it spread toward the council members, and the others in attendance, slowly growing stronger until it blew a paper off the desk in front of her. Then another, and another, blowing them off faster than Regina could reach down and retrieve them.

'What is going on?' Snow asked, flustered.

'I have no idea.' Regina said, giving up her useless effort as the paper swirled around between her and the rest of the people in the room. Soon, other objects were added, notebooks, purses everything spinning in a mini-cyclone in the conference room.

'What the fuck?' Emma gasped, standing from her seat.

'You seem to have been saying that pretty often lately.' Regina observed, the rest of those present gawking or muttering.

Regina felt it again, that unknown magic, it was thick in the air. And once more, she used her own to counter it, bringing everything to a standstill midair before falling unceremoniously to the ground, where people rushed to retrieve their items.

The mayor waited at the podium until everyone calmed down and continued on with the end of her presentation.

Once the meeting concluded, she stayed later, after everyone had filtered out of the room, quickly wanting to distance themselves from whatever had gone on. She didn't even join the others for the coffee and dessert offered afterwards in the foyer, opting instead to stay behind and try to figure out what had gone on. There seemed to be no trace of whoever or whatever was using this magic, and that couldn't be right. There had to be something they left behind, or some way to find who it was. There was no such thing as a perfect crime, magical or not.

'You ok?' Emma asked from the doorway of the meeting room, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

'I suppose. As ok as I can be with that complete disaster of a meeting-' Regina started, genuinely upset. A witch as experienced as herself should be able to identify the magic user, shouldn't she? And here she had encountered this magic several times and was no closer to finding out the culprit of this mischief than she had been the first time.

'Hey.' Emma stepped closer and put her hands on Regina's shoulders. 'It'll be ok.'

'It all feels so…' she sighed, weary, tired, and about a million other things she was too exhausted to think about. 'Overwhelming sometimes.' She finished quietly. 'And I don't know what to do.'

'You'll get through this, all of this. I promise.' Emma said, a hand gently resting on Regina's stomach, where for the first time, Emma thought she felt it sticking out just ever so slightly farther than before.

She scoffed.

'You're easily the strongest person I know.' Emma said with such sincerity that Regina didn't think for a second that she said it just to placate her.

Regina took in the concern so obvious in the way Emma was looking at her, the way she really seemed to care what was going on, and the fact that she had stayed to make sure she was ok. 'I miss you.' She whispered.

'I'm right here,' Emma said simply, nearly laughing. 'and I'm just a text or a phone call away anytime. I mean it. Whenever you need me, ok? Even if it's something like coming over to make you hot chocolate.'

Regina shook her head gently. 'I mean-' she took a deep breath, determined, and stepped closer to Emma, wrapping her arms inside Emma's red leather jacket and around her back. They were all but flush against each other, Emma's Henley thin enough for Regina to feel the shiver that passed through her when they touched, and the way the muscles in her back and shoulders tensed ever so slightly after. 'I miss you.' She tucked Emma's hair behind her ear and looked at the woman's expression to see if there was anything there that suggested she should stop. Instead, she noticed Emma looking down at her barely parted lips. So Regina leaned in, giving her enough time to back away, before she kissed her. To her relief, Emma responded immediately, pulling her even closer and deepening the kiss instantly. After a few minutes, holding her wasn't enough and Regina moved her hands to Emma's ribs, tracing them upward until her thumbs rested on the undersides of Emma's breasts. That was when Emma broke their kiss and rested her forehead against Regina's, both breathing heavier.

'I missed you too.' Emma said almost whispering.

'I can tell.' Regina chuckled and then Emma did too for a second before she fell silent.

'So, you still want,' Emma tried to find the right word, when her mind was still reeling from the kiss. 'this? Me?' she asked, sounding more than a little confused.

'Yes.' Regina said, indignant. 'Why wouldn't I?'

'Ok. Ok.' Emma agreed quickly, she didn't want to fight her on it. 'You have to admit that pregnancy might change that for some women. And I just want you to know, I understand, I do, if that's not something you want, or even if it's not something you want right now.'

'When have I ever been "some" women?' Regina asked, teasing her.

'I don't want to pressure you, or I don't know, I thought you'd want space? A baby changes your priorities and I wasn't sure that you'd still-' Emma said seriously.

Regina cut her off with another kiss. Less passionate and nearly chaste, but long enough to reassure Emma of all the doubts she had been holding onto. 'I do, still. I still want you. If you still want me too.'

Emma nodded. 'So much.'

'Because this,' she put her hand over Emma's which rested on her stomach, 'changes things for you too.'

Emma shook her head.

'Oh yes it does!' she laughed and pulled back a little, smiling. 'You're not just dating your former nemesis who cursed your parents and tried to destroy your happiness for the better part of – however many years it was -' she demurred and Emma chuckled. 'I am pregnant Emma. Whether you like it or not, it is different dating a pregnant woman.'

'Regina, to me it changes nothing. I want you. I've wanted you for probably longer than I even know. Whatever this means, it doesn't change a thing for me.' She insisted, elated that her feelings were returned.

'Please, just really think about what this relationship means in six months. In a year, in five years if we work out. It means being a part of this baby's life.'

'I know.' she answered quickly.

'I just need you to be sure.'

Emma thought for while. She didn't know what else to say to reassure Regina that she meant it when she said that she wanted her, and wanted to be in her life, whatever that meant. Then she realized that maybe it had nothing to do with herself, and maybe that Regina needed to get used to it. That there could be someone that would be there for her and want her no matter what, unconditionally. 'Ok, how about this, I'll keep thinking about it, what it means to date you and be a part of your life and the baby's life too, and in the meantime we can take things slow?'

'Not too slow.' She corrected. 'We've taken long enough already, don't you think?'

Emma smiled, god it could frustrating to figure out what that woman wanted sometimes, 'yeah, we have, haven't we.' As she leaned forward to kiss Regina again, she pulled away. 'What?'

'We're in public.' She said, feigning being scandalized.

'We're in a meeting room at City Hall. And besides, you didn't have a problem kissing me a minute ago. C'mon, you've never thought about making out at work?' Emma teased.

Regina rolled her eyes, but gave in. For how many times she had thought of kissing Emma in this room during their City Council meetings over the years, she wasn't going to pass up the chance to actually do it.

* * *

 **A/N: FINALLY they're on the same page! lol Hope it was worth the wait!** **And of course, as always, feel free to tell me your thoughts/reactions/etc in a review :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Your reviews from the last chapter cracked me up! It seems as though some of you readers were as relieved as I was to finally get these lovely ladies together.**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own OUAT, characters, etc. And reminder: I've never been pregnant/had an SO who was so all that kind of info comes from friends and Google, which I've been using enough to get all kinds of baby/pregnancy products in targeted ads now.**

* * *

'Alright. Ready for the ultrasound, Regina?' Dr. Cardenas asked after she completed the exam.

She nodded while the doctor got the machine and prepped her. Right after getting a clean bill of health for them both, this was what she looked forward to the most. Seeing her baby, hearing its little heart flutter right in front of her eyes. She's cried every time so far. Not loudly, or obviously, just tears running down her cheek as she became overwhelmed with wonder at the life that was growing inside her. And Emma was kind enough to not mention it or react to it, but to instead just hold her hand.

'There's your baby. Everything looks good. Strong heartbeat, everything's developing as it should. Sometimes around this time we can tell the sex of the baby. Would you like to know?' the doctor asked the women.

Regina was stunned. She hadn't given it a bit of thought. She turned to Emma, who was smiling at her, and it looked like her eyes were just slightly watering as well.

'You can always find out later if you're not sure.' The doctor said after several moments of silence.

Regina nodded, 'I think we'll wait.' She said, and as soon as she felt Emma's grip on her hand tighten, she realized what she had said. She didn't dare look at Emma right away.

'Alright, let me just print out some pictures for you.' The doctor agreed.

'Thank you.' Regina said and got out of the chair.

'Now around five months is when many women start to show. You might want to start shopping for some maternity clothes if you haven't already.' She said tactfully.

Regina scoffed quietly. The doctor was absolutely right, but she would have preferred to live in denial just a bit longer.

'Also around this time, many women experience an increase in their sex drive.' The doctor added nonchalantly.

'What?' Regina spat out. It was perfectly true, but she wasn't expecting the doctor to bring it up. It was an awkward subject to discuss in front of Emma, not that the doctor would have any way of knowing that.

'It's perfectly normal, has to do with increased hormones during pregnancy. I like to inform patients that sex during pregnancy, including penetrative sex, is perfectly fine for a pregnancy proceeding normally, like yours. Even when you get farther along. Just be sure to be comfortable. Many pregnant women prefer not to be on their back, that becomes more uncomfortable as the pregnancy progresses. And later on you might want to refrain from being very rough, but for now, it's fine and won't hurt the baby.' Dr. Cardenas looked and smiled at Emma. 'I'll see you in a few weeks, you'll schedule your next appointment with Michelle on the way out.' She said before she left the room.

Both women were nervous. Emma's heart was pounding at the implication and suggestion of the doctor's words. She had been patient with Regina, knowing that even though they were dating, they might not have sex for a while, until after the baby was born. Remembering her own pregnancy, she had been horny all the time, but sex was the last thing she wanted or thought about. But now, with Regina, it crossed her mind quite often. And now, the thought of being intimate with Regina, penetrating her, wouldn't leave her mind for the rest of the day.

* * *

Regina glared at her sister, who wouldn't stop laughing. 'Oh come on, Regina, you have to admit that it's a little funny.' Zelena smiled.

'No.' Regina's voice was short, she was frustrated for about five different reasons and not in the mood for Zelena's teasing. 'It was – I felt humiliated.' She insisted, and then noticed the distress of her niece at her tone and cooed, 'It's ok, your mom's just being difficult Robyn.'

'Why would you feel humiliated?' she asked. 'I would think it's relevant information for someone in your condition.'

'Because we haven't been intimate physically, yet.'

'Are you joking?' Zelena demanded.

'No.'

'You haven't done - anything?' Regina looked away, 'not even-'

'No, nothing other than kiss, a lot.' Regina interrupted her before she could find a euphemism suitable to utter in front of the child.

'You could understand why the doctor would assume though? Emma goes with you to appointments, and she probably pulls your chair out for you and other such Charming nonsense. Most people who do that have a sexual relationship.'

'We didn't even ask about sex.' Regina said instead of trying to deny it.

'You do want to though, right?' Zelena asked, still confused.

'You have no idea.' She groaned in frustration. 'You're lucky you didn't have to go through this part. It's almost unbearable. Sometimes I have to masturbate at lunch just to make it through the day. But then I'm so tired I nearly fall asleep before it's time to go home.'

'Yes, so lucky that the Dark One sped up my pregnancy to suit her nefarious purposes before she was your doting little wife.' She quipped sarcastically, earning an eyeroll from her sister.

'Am I getting fat yet?' Regina asked out of nowhere, and Zelena took a moment to look at her thoroughly to give her an honest answer.

'No. You look even more beautiful than you did before, honestly. You're glowing. It's a bit unfair, actually.'

'Thank you, but that's not what I meant. I'm just trying to think about how much longer I can go before I have to start telling people.'

'Ah.' Zelena had a feeling that's what it was. It was noticeable that Regina's figure had changed, but the reason wasn't yet obvious. Her stomach stuck out a bit and her face was just a tad fuller. For now it could pass as gaining a few pounds. But she didn't know for how long.

'When I was at Granny's earlier, I swear Ruby could tell. Her and her damn wolf super senses.' Regina went on. The wolf hadn't been as friendly or flirty as she usually was, which was very unlike her.

'If anyone suspects that you have a bun in your oven, I bet they're still too frightened of you to say so.'

Regina pouted. 'I'm serious.'

'I think you could hide it for a few more weeks, it's cooler out, you can get away with bulky jackets.' She said noncommittally.

'At least I'm not due in the summer.' She agreed.

'When are you planning on telling people who aren't me or your girlfriend.'

'I haven't thought about it. I've been so focused on finding out how this happened, I haven't thought very much about the normal things you do when you're pregnant.' She sighed, playing with one of Robyn's curls as she held her niece on her lap. 'I guess I should.'

'You should think about it. Have you shopped for maternity clothes yet?'

'I might as well tell the whole town myself if I do that.' She scoffed.

'You'll need it soon if you don't already.'

'I know.'

Regina made up her mind. She needed to do everything she could to figure out where her baby had come from so she could have an explanation before her condition was obvious. And that entailed a visit to a certain nun.

'And Emma and I, we haven't talked about labels yet.' She added, recalling Zelena's earlier use of one.

Zelena rolled her eyes. 'It's only a matter of time then. On the other hand, it did take you nearly an eternity to figure out how you felt about each other. At this rate, your child will be old enough to be in your wedding party by the time the sheriff finally makes an honest woman out of you.'

Regina ignored her, instead, paying attention to her adorable niece, thinking how close this was in her future.

* * *

'The Savior. Madame Mayor.' Blue greeted with a tight, pleasant smile and an annoyingly chipper tone.

'Hey.' Emma greeted. Regina merely inclined her head. They agreed that Emma would do all the talking and the mayor wasn't planning on joining the conversation, even for a greeting.

'What brings you by?' the fairy asked.

'I need your help with something- magical.' Emma began.

'Oh, is someone in danger? There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.' Blue said

'No, no, nothing like that, this is a – personal matter.' Emma said.

'Oh?'

'I'm going to ask you something, and before I do, you have to promise that you won't say anything to anyone about what I tell you.' Emma said carefully.

'I promise.' She leaned forward.

'I need to know about magical pregnancy.' The sheriff said more confidently than Regina had expected.

'What about it?' she furrowed her brow. 'As for getting pregnant there are several different methods, you just need to decide the right one for you. With your magical abilities, I would think that you could choose-'

'That's not,' Emma took a deep breath, 'I'm already pregnant.'

'Oh? Oh! That's wonderful that you were able to conceive with magic.' She smiled brightly, and then frowned once she realized just what Emma's situation was. Or at least, that is what Emma and Regina assumed was the reason.

'It is.' Emma forced out the lie, adding genuinely for Regina's benefit, 'And it is a blessing, but I need to know how that's possible.'

'Well, you should know, you did it.' She said almost dismissively. 'There are spells, artifacts, potions, it's not easy and I commend the control you have on your magic for executing it successfully. You have come a long way.'

'No, I didn't do it on purpose.' She corrected, trying to think of a way to explain it without giving away anything about Regina.

'What do you mean? You became pregnant on accident?' she sounded thoroughly confused.

'I'm pregnant, but I didn't do anything that could get me pregnant magically or the uh conventional way, so I was wondering if there were ways that could happen without me knowing. Like with light magic or something.'

'No, fairies couldn't be responsible for your- condition.' She said.

'They aren't.' Emma said out loud, a little disappointed. She didn't know what she was expecting when she came here, but she was hoping that it might be some help. Here they were still no closer to finding out how Regina's baby had come about.

'No.' she repeated.

'You're sure.'

'Absolutely.'

'Is there anything or anyone you can think of that could be responsible?' Emma said slowly.

'No.' she said harsher. 'It's not possible.'

'Really?'

'Yes, really. I'm sorry that I'm not able to be of more help, Sheriff, but I don't have any idea how that could have happened to you.' Blue was back to her overt and less than sincere politeness as she angled for them to leave.

'Thank you, we'll be going then. And if you think of anything, let me know.' Emma said on their way out.

'I will.'

As soon as they got back in the car, Emma blurted out, 'She lied to me.'

'Blue hiding something, that's a surprise.' Regina rolled her eyes, 'I shouldn't have even gone with you. It was exactly what I thought it would be. Those self-righteous fairies who-'

'She was lying when she said she had no idea what could have happened. The fairies couldn't have done it, but she's not as clueless as she made herself out to be.'

'But Gold wasn't lying either.' Regina clarified. 'So it's not him.'

'No, so it must be someone or something else.'

'We just have to figure out who.' Regina agreed.

'You doing anything tonight?'

Regina shook her head.

'You want to go on a picnic with me?'

'At night?' she asked.

Emma nodded, 'It'll be romantic.'

And she looked so cute that of course Regina agreed. 'I'd love to.' And the smile on Emma's face when she agreed melted her heart.

But as evening came, the only thing Regina felt like doing was sitting at home and doing nothing. Well maybe not nothing, but she really didn't feel like going anywhere. It was enough of a struggle to get through the workday without falling asleep at her desk. She didn't want to disappoint Emma, but there was no way she'd have the energy to go anywhere. Her doctor had cautioned her that as the pregnancy went on there would be days when she would be exhausted, and she usually was able to solve any problems with mood or energy with coffee, but that wouldn't be an option again for a few more months. She knew she better call Emma sooner rather than later.

'Hey.' Emma answered.

'Hey.'

'What's going on? You sound – different.'

'I've had a long day and I don't feel like going anywhere tonight. I'm sorry.'

'That's ok.' Emma said simply.

'It is?'

'Of course. I can bring you some dinner or something and hang out at home if you want, or if you're in the mood to be alone, I'll stay far, far away.' She teased.

'Staying in with you sounds perfect. And can I ask you for a massive favor?'

'Sure.'

Emma had no idea that the favor was to help Regina cook something she had been craving all day. Homemade macaroni and cheese.

'Ohhh.' Emma moaned, and Regina faltered slightly in bringing her spoon to her mouth. 'How have I not had your mac and cheese before?'

'I don't know, you're missing out.'

'Not anymore.' She laughed.

'I'm sorry that I didn't feel like doing anything tonight.' Regina said again.

'It's ok, really. I feel like sometimes you forget that I was pregnant about 16 years ago. I get it.' Emma smiled through another large bite.

'Thank you.'

'For what?' Emma wondered.

Regina found that she wasn't sure. 'Helping me cook, understanding canceling plans with you. Probably something else I've forgotten, too.'

'You're welcome.' She grinned.

Regina leaned forward and pecked her cheek.

After dinner, Regina was even more exhausted and rather than having Emma leave her to pass out in a food coma, she insisted that she stay and cuddle on the couch.

'So, is there anything you want to talk about?' Emma asked as she random patterns with her finger on Regina's arm.

'Why do you ask?'

'Seems like you have a lot on your mind.'

'Don't I always?'

'Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it?' she said hopefully. 'If you want. Might help.'

'I saw Zelena earlier and it got me thinking how unprepared I am for all of this.' She admitted. The further along she got the more it seemed it all was catching up to her, and sometimes it just felt overwhelming.

'What do you mean? You've cursed an entire realm, been to the Underworld and back, and all our other adventures too. Having a kid is something even my Mom can do. You've got this!' Emma squeezed her tighter.

'This is different than all that. And it's not just the baby either. I need maternity clothes that I don't have and can't try on and buy in town for obvious reasons. Everyone's going to know soon whether I tell them or not. I don't even have a way to explain anything. And I really should start looking at all the other baby things – putting together a nursery – so that everything's ready.' She rambled.

'Ok, how about one step at a time.' Emma said, running her hands gently up and down Regina's back and thought of where she should start. 'About the maternity clothes, that's easy.'

'You think?'

'Yeah, If you don't want people here to see and gossip about you, we just go out of town.' Emma said as if it really were that easy. 'Take a day off and leave Storybrooke.'

'What?' Regina asked, she never took days off. At least not for vacation.

'Yeah, we can leave town, go out where no one knows you and you don't have to wear coats when you're inside. Try on clothes and look at strollers and high chairs and-'

'That's a lot to do in one day.'

It was a valid point. Even more so if Regina grew exhausted from work. 'It doesn't have to be just a day.'

'No?'

'I'd say that you've earned a weekend vacation, wouldn't you?' Emma suggested.

'Going out of town for the weekend, with you, isn't exactly low profile.' Regina said, though the idea had an undeniable appeal to it.

'No, but I'm sure we could think of a reason why you need to be out of town for a few days. I'll handle it.'

'Really. You'll come up with a reason to leave town that won't get the town gossips going?'

'Yep, is there anywhere you'd like to go in particular?'

Regina thought about it for a moment. 'Boston.' She said quietly.

'That's definitely a weekend trip.' Emma smiled. 'Next weekend?'

'That's soon.'

'Doesn't have to be, I just thought the sooner the better.'

'You're right.'

'What was that?'

'You're-' Regina began to repeat before she caught on and smacked Emma's arm and settled closer to her. 'This is nice.'

'Hmm.' Emma agreed and kissed the side of her forehead.

'Why didn't we start doing this sooner?' Regina said as she felt Emma's heart beat against her cheek.

Emma chuckled, 'you tell me.'

Regina turned in Emma's embrace and kissed her. And because they were already laying halfway top of each other, it didn't take long for the chaste kiss to turn into something more heated, less innocent. As their tongues tasted and caressed, Regina's leg slipped between Emma's, stoking their rapidly growing desire rather than providing any kind of satisfaction. Being this close to Emma was driving Regina crazy. Feeling the woman underneath her, kissing her, touching her. She couldn't get enough.

Emma's hand went up the back of Regina's shirt and undid her bra. But as the sheriff's hands cupped her bare breasts, feeling her nipples harden under her touch, Regina drew back with a gasp. And Emma looked adorably confused.

'You ok?' she asked, still in a haze of lust.

'Yes, more than ok, I just don't know that we should continue.' She said quietly.

'Oh.'

'Tonight.' She corrected quickly. 'I don't know that we should continue this – tonight.'

'Oh. K, I mean that's fine, of course. But is there any particular reason? Something I did that made you uncomfortable?'

Regina thought about it, it seemed silly to say out loud the reason that made her put a stop to how things had been progressing.

'Hey, you can tell me. You can tell me anything. The last thing I want to do it hurt you.'

'It sounds, it's silly.' Regina leaned forward to kiss her again as a distraction, but Emma moved out of the way.

Emma shook her head, 'nuh uh. It's not.'

'I want things to be different with you.'

'Different? How?'

'I want this to last.' She said quietly.

'Me too.' Emma agreed easily and waited for her to continue.

'And I don't want our first time to be on my couch when our teenaged son could come home and catch us any minute.' She explained, thinking back to her tryst with Robin in the crypt and internally cringing.

'Yeah you're probably right. We could always go to your bedroom, you know.' Emma suggested only half serious, she sensed that the moment was lost, and that was fine. Sexually frustrating maybe, but fine. She could tell that there was something else on Regina's mind still, but she wasn't going to push it.

'Soon, dear.' Regina said and kissed her again, but when she tried to deepen the kiss, Emma slowly pulled away.

'If we're not doing anything tonight, I might need a distraction from you, since I'm not really in the mood to leave this comfy spot for a cold shower.'

Regina laughed.

'Wanna watch a movie?' Emma asked.

She nodded. 'Might fall asleep though.'

'S ok. I can poof you to bed before I go home.'

'Mhmm.'

But Emma didn't poof Regina anywhere that night, because barely five minutes in, they were both asleep. Snuggled up together under a blanket, wrapped around each other as they slept. Which is exactly how Henry found them when he got back home.

* * *

 **A/N: Idk what it is with me and ending chapters with semi-cliffhangers so often. I swear I don't set out to, but then as I write, it just kinda happens. Also, I know I prolonged them getting together for ~50,000 words, but I don't want you to think I'm going to delay the physical aspect of their relationship until after the baby is born (as Emma considered earlier in the chapter). I can't wait nearly that long, I've had to stop myself from inserting sex scenes into the last about 5 chapters already lol And just a reminder that I love reading your thoughts and reactions in reviews :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Friendly reminder, this fic is rated M for a reason, and this chapter earns that rating ;) (but it ends on smut, so you can just stop reading and not miss anything story wise, if that's not your cup of tea)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no recognizable characters, etc, from OUAT and derive no profit or financial gain from this, just my own enjoyment, and hopefully the readers'. And I have only visited Boston briefly, so if I don't do the city justice, please forgive me.**

* * *

As soon as Regina woke up the next morning, she wanted to go back to sleep, it was far too comfortable to move. Of course she made sure that her sheets had the highest thread count she could find, that her mattress toper provided the perfect balance of comfort and support, and that her head lay on the softest pillows. But her bed didn't compare to this. When she heard the muffled groaning of a certain blonde sheriff, she remembered. She remembered that there had been one other morning she had awoken like this, several months ago. Only this morning there was nothing to hide, nothing to be embarrassed or unsure about. She stretched her neck to place a lazy kiss on Emma's jaw, earning another mumble and the slight tightening of the sheriff's arms around her.

And what was that she smelled? It was absolutely heavenly. Bacon? Eggs? Coffee?

'Gina, smells so good.' Emma mumbled beneath her.

'Don't call me that.' She said and poked Emma's side lightly.

'Neal calls you that.'

'He's a toddler, he can't speak properly yet. And he's cute.'

'I'm cute.' She pouted.

Regina kissed her cheek. 'Yes you are, dear. But don't call me that again.'

'K. Mmm, still haven't told me what're you making though?' Emma said as she adjusted Regina slightly over her.

'I'm not making anything, how could I when I'm right here?'

'Then who is?' Emma wondered, waking up a bit more.

It had to be Henry. But since when did he make breakfast?

They got up and went into the kitchen to see what was going on.

'Morning.' Emma said to Henry who was facing the stove, checking the bacon.

'Hey Moms.' He grinned, wide awake already, while his mothers were still bleary-eyed.

'What's up with this kid? You never cook when you're at my house.' She laughed and poured herself some coffee.

He shrugged. 'No reason.'

'Ok what did you do.' Emma teased.

'Why do you assume I did something?'

'Eh, you're feeling guilty about something. Trying to soften the blow with bacon? Not the worst strategy, you got a pretty good shot as long as it's something that isn't too bad. So spill.' She prompted him.

'I didn't do anything, really.' He insisted, and furrowed his brow just as Regina did.

'Then why?'

'Emma. Can't you appreciate our thoughtful son?' Regina asked. 'There's no need to interrogate him like one of your suspects at the station.'

'Yeah.' Henry agreed.

'Of course I appreciate him, but there's a reason behind this. And I'm curious what it is, is all.'

'I just think this is nice.' He shrugged, 'You know, us all being here at home together.'

'Yeah?' Emma asked, still skeptical.

'Yeah, and I just wanted you both to know that I support – you know.' he said.

'What?'

'You know, you guys.' He waved the spatula between them, flinging a tiny piece of egg to the counter which he didn't seem to notice.

'Me and your mom? What about us?' Emma asked.

'I saw you last night, when I came home?' his voice got louder and slower, as if what he was implying should be clear.

'You saw us what kid?'

'Mom fell asleep on top of you.' He sounded frustrated. 'I'm not a kid anymore, Ma. Obviously you haven't told me you're dating, but I just, you know, want you to know I'm cool with it.'

Emma looked at Regina frantically, who seemed content to keep sipping some orange juice in lieu of the caffeinated coffee their son had made.

'Henry look-' Emma began.

'People who aren't dating don't cuddle like that.' He said firmly, interrupting her, and leading to a silence between them.

'He's right.' Regina admitted and shared a glance with Emma. 'They don't.'

'Ok, kid, you're right. We weren't planning on telling you yet, but your Mom and I are dating.' Emma said, hoping that the breakfast was a sign that he would take it well.

'I knew it!'

'And you're alright with your Mom and I being – with us dating?' Emma asked.

'Yeah.' He shrugged. 'I mean it's kinda weird if I think about it, but I don't want you guys to be alone you know? And I'd rather you date each other than have to get used to some random guys you might end up with. Plus I'll get to be around you both more, right?'

'Right.' Emma smiled.

'And Ma, when you move in, I won't have to go between you guys anymore either.' Henry said casually, as he served up the breakfast he just made.

Emma nearly choked on her coffee while Regina chuckled and rubbed her back.

* * *

The week had taken forever. Regina counted the days until her weekend away with Emma. Where they could be away together, and she didn't have to feel self-conscious about hiding their relationship or her pregnancy, or worry about what people would think when they found out. No, this weekend, they would just be a couple on a vacation. Even if they had yet to label themselves as such. And Emma had been so diligent about planning everything, texting her about hotels and restaurants and baby stores. On the drive over, Emma seemed just as excited, if that were even possible.

'This is beautiful.' Regina said as she walked through their room. They had a spectacular view overlooking the bay, tasteful furnishings and only one bed, which made Emma's heart flutter even though she already knew that would be the case when she booked the room. She couldn't wait to fall asleep with Regina again. Now that Henry knew, there really wasn't a reason she couldn't sleep over more often. Ideally every night, but that would be a bit presumptuous right off the bat. Maybe just start with the weekends…

'Mhmm. So what are you feeling up to?' Emma asked, plopping down on the bed.

'I made dinner reservations for 7 in the restaurant downstairs, and maybe before then, you could show me around? Where you used to live, work? Maybe we could do the baby stuff tomorrow?' she suggested. Traveling to Boston left Regina more tired than she'd like to admit, and just the thought of going around to stores looking at cribs and baby clothes was exhausting.

'Sounds good, I'd love to show you around.' Emma grinned.

* * *

'And that is the apartment building where Henry found me six years ago.' Emma came to a stop outside a large brick building.

'That's a long time.' Regina said, looking at the walkup.

'It seems like a different lifetime.' Emma said quietly, and Regina squeezed her hand.

'It was certainly a different life than the one you live now.'

'Yeah. I was just, alone. Like I had always been. But then Henry came along and now I have parents, a real steady job with responsibility to people who aren't myself. And a -' she stopped before she said family. That word covered a lot of people, but she wasn't sure if she felt comfortable using it to cover them just yet, at least not in the way that Emma wanted it to. Technically she had been Regina's "family" since she was born, but she hoped that someday in the not too distant future they could be a family together, with Henry and the little bun in Regina's oven. 'And you too.'

'My life has changed too, I went from being the Evil Queen ruling over cursed Storybrooke to dating Snow White's daughter.' Regina smiled, lightening whatever tension Emma had been feeling.

Emma kissed her and kept walking, heading back to the hotel. As they went she told Regina about her life before they knew each other, like her favorite pizza place on the corner that she would go to after every big mark she brought in, which Regina insisted they stop for so she try it. Emma pointed out the uneven cement in the park where she nearly broke her leg when she tripped jogging. And the bar where a cop nearly blew her cover when she was after a guy who she had been after for weeks. Before long, they were back at the hotel.

'Wow.' Emma said when she saw the dress Regina was planning on wearing for the dinner. 'I didn't know that we needed to dress for dinner.'

'I assumed as much, Henry helped me get something to bring for you to wear.' Regina smirked.

'What?'

'Right here. Didn't know if you would prefer a dress or pants and a button down, so you can choose.'

Emma was glad that Regina had thought ahead, the restaurant was beautiful and their food was divine.

'Thank you, Emma.'

'You say that a lot lately.'

'You deserve it. I was so scared-' Regina said quietly, 'when I found out about this baby and you have been just incredible. And this trip.'

Emma kissed her hand. 'Who would have thought. After all these years of fighting and snark, a baby would turn you into a total softie.'

'You should know that already. Henry did quite a number on the Evil Queen.' She smiled.

'I mean, yeah.' Emma paused, she was unsure how far she should push. Regina had been different lately, more open and more vulnerable. But drawing attention to it was maybe not the best idea. 'I like being there for you. I like being with you.' She said instead.

'I do too. And I like seeing this part of you.'

'What do you mean?'

'Where you came from. You've been back in time and seen the Evil Queen, who I was for so long before you knew me. And now I get to do the same in a way. I get to see a bit of your life before. When you weren't yet Henry's mother or the town's Savior.'

'Yep, just a loser in my late 20's with no family or friends to spend my birthday with.' Emma said, her tone lighter than her words. Her life was fine before, but there was something missing when she lived here that she has since found.

Regina reached out and touched Emma's arm. 'That isn't what I meant at all.'

'I know. But it's true, I wasn't happy. Not the way I am now.'

They were quiet on the elevator after dinner. A tension had slowly built up during the evening and now threatened to overwhelm them. Each step toward their room seemed more and more difficult. Emma even fumbled with the key card before gaining entrance.

When she opened the door, their suite was illuminated by the gentle glow of candles, and soft music wafting gently from the stereo.

'What – this is our room right?' Emma asked confused, this wasn't how they left it this afternoon.

Regina smiled, 'yes it is, dear. I arranged for the concierge to come in while we were out to dinner.' She said casually.

'Oh.' Emma said, her brow furrowed. 'Oooh.'

Regina hummed in agreement as she walked Emma back, trapping her against the back of the hallway door before kissing her soundly. Emma gave in immediately, her lips and tongue melting against Regina's as the woman kept her pinned against the door. She had been ready for this step and was glad that Regina was too.

Before long, kissing alone wasn't enough for either of them, Emma moved her hands to cup Regina's ass that she had spent countless time covertly staring at, or so she hoped. And Regina stepped back, pulling Emma with her toward the bed, with the woman kissing along her jawline now in a most distracting way. When they got there, Regina rushed to get undressed, starting with her shoes, but she felt Emma's hands on hers, stilling her movement.

'Can we – I want to take our time, can we?' Emma asked softly, her voice sounding unsure.

Regina nodded immediately, wondering if there was very much she wouldn't acquiesce to if Emma were to ask her right now, like this. Emma ran her hands along Regina's dress while she took off her shoes, grazing over her breasts, hips, thighs, stomach. It was overwhelming, and still so far from enough. Regina needed to finally feel the woman's hands on every inch of her bare skin, and inside her, but here she was, still fully clothed.

Regina decided she couldn't go another second without seeing Emma's body bared to her and unbuttoned Emma's shirt as quickly as she could, and she could feel Emma smirking into her neck as she kissed the hollow of her throat. God, she could look at Emma's abs forever, with the way the light flickered over the definition of her stomach.

'You ok?' Emma pulled back and asked her when Regina had been motionless for a while.

'Mhmm. Just admiring the view.' Regina's voice came out a little breathier than she would have liked.

'There's a view I'd like to admire too.' Emma said and reached around to find the zip on the back of Regina's dress, pulling it down slowly revealing a blood red lace bra and a matching thong when she was done.

'Do you like it?'

Emma nodded, not trusting her ability to speak given the sight before her. Growing impatient, Regina removed the rest of what Emma was wearing, her pants and underwear, and straddled her waist on the bed. Emma might want to take things slow with her which was romantic and sweet she could admit, but she had been waiting for this for a long time. Too long. There was time for slow, romantic love making later. Now that they were finally alone, Regina didn't want to spend another second without knowing what the woman tasted like.

So she leaned forward and licked along Emma's shaved folds, gently and without probing inside just yet. Regina could hear Emma exhale in surprise above her and the mayor grinned against her, taking another swipe through Emma's sex with her tongue. Now that she had tasted her, she wasn't sure she would ever get enough. Soon the tentative exploration grew bolder, firmer against the blonde's sex as she lay back on the bed, enjoying the woman she had fantasized about for years. But it wasn't just sexual fantasy bringing them together tonight. They had grown closer through the years, through parenting their son, saving the town, and each other they had developed a bond that added meaning to what they were doing.

Regina felt Emma's clit harden against her tongue as she went, and the whimpers and little moans that she heard above her encouraged her that she was doing something right. But she didn't know if it would be enough. So she brought a hand down from a breast and teased Emma's opening with just the tip of her middle finger. Before long, Emma was moving forward, to get it inside, and Regina couldn't help but smile against her, thinking that this was the woman who wanted to take things slow with her. But she didn't want to tease her too badly either, so she pushed her middle finger inside, torturously slow as Emma moaned above her and gripped her hair tighter.

'Please, Regina.' She sighed, and as she looked up at Emma's face, it looked in agony. So she gave in and pushed a second finger in, starting slow, but working up to the speed Emma wanted. Regina could hear the soft chanting of "yes" above her and felt Emma's walls flutter slightly around her fingers, she was getting close. Regina rotated her wrist so her fingers would stroke that ribbed patch she felt against Emma's front wall, and closed her lips around her clit to suck. Emma's moans grew louder, and her grip on Regina's hair grew tighter, holding her close until she came. Regina took her through, stroking her pulsing walls until the aftershocks stilled and she gently removed her fingers and got up to kiss her.

'God that was amazing, you're amazing.' Emma sighed in post coital bliss and drew Regina into her arms.

'You're pretty amazing yourself.' Regina said and traced a finger along the planes of her stomach.

'So I didn't ask before, cuz I couldn't think of a way to without putting my foot in my mouth. But you've been with women before, right? I would not have guessed.'

'No?'

'Well, the Enchanted Forest seemed – a little traditional, is all.'

'I was the queen, the Evil Queen. I did what I wanted.'

'Is it terrible that I think this almost makes up for you terrorizing my parents all those years?' Emma teased and Regina just laughed. 'So you're still almost fully clothed, I think we should fix that.' Emma said and opened the clasp on Regina's bra. The queen removed it and her thong herself, leaving Emma to admire the absolute beauty of her naked body.

'God you look so beautiful like this.' Emma said, and Regina shied away a little.

'I'm-' Regina started.

'Gorgeous.' Emma interrupted, placing a finger across her lips. She kissed from Regina's lips to her neck and across her shoulder, with her hands lightly moving up and down her sides instead of where Regina needed them.

'Emma.' She said, shortly. She wouldn't ask or beg.

'You said I could take my time.' Emma reminded.

'I didn't know you were going to go this slowly.' She grumbled.

'It'll be worth the wait, I promise.' Emma said, and Regina knew she wouldn't be wrong. She could feel the care and tenderness in Emma's caresses. She wasn't used to this. She was used to either taking or demanding what she wanted. But the way Emma looked at her, Regina couldn't deny her this gentle exploration, frustrating as it was at the moment.

Finally Emma's mouth reached Regina's breast, flicking a painfully erect nipple and earning a loud moan. She should have guessed. Since they met, Emma's eyes had frequently drifted to her cleavage, and since they had been dating she had given up all pretense in hiding it. She bit down gently as a finger circled her clit with a pressure that was just barely not enough.

'Emma.' Regina said, stronger, and Emma pressed harder, hard enough, as Emma kissed her again. Soon, that wasn't enough either. Regina broke their kiss, 'Emma, inside.' Thankfully, the blonde listened and pumped her fingers inside, giving her just what she needed to climb closer to the edge. She could get used to this, feeling surrounded by Emma the way she was now, kissing her, on her, inside her.

'Emma, I'm-don't stop.' Regina pleaded, and Emma understood, keeping her pace steady while she began to rub Regina's clit with her thumb. That was what sent Regina crashing over, every nerve exploding with the pleasure that only Emma could give her.

The next thing Regina felt was the comforter moving along her body.

'Oh, didn't mean to wake you, just didn't want you to get cold.' Emma said.

'I fell asleep?'

'Yeah, you passed out right after.' Emma smirked. 'I was worried for a second, but-'

'I'm fine.'

'I know, go back to sleep, it's late.' Emma said and spooned Regina under the warm covers.

But when Regina noticed that Emma was still gloriously naked, she had other ideas of how to spend the rest of their evening, and Emma happily went along.

* * *

 **A/N: For once no cliffhanger and no interruption or distraction! I think I will forever be unsure about writing and posting smut, but I hope at least it wasn't terrible to read lol. And as always, would love to hear what you think of the chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: all characters belong to ABC, etc. This is only for my own enjoyment, and I gain no profit from it. And no beta, all mistakes are mine.**

* * *

It had been a productive morning, Regina thought, even though she was mildly annoyed that she had to use the bathroom for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. They had gone to Target and picked out a car seat and a high chair, the ones she and Emma liked when they looked online before. But even as they talked about safety ratings and how easy various models were to install and remove, it felt a little surreal. There was still a part of her that knew this was a life that she wasn't expecting, and maybe that she wasn't completely ready for just yet. But she was getting there, slowly, and with Emma's help.

When Regina was ready to rejoin her shopping companion, she found Emma talking with a woman. Not just talking, laughing. A beautiful woman, who didn't look like she worked for the store and who was standing entirely too close for her comfort. And putting her hand on Emma's shoulder. That would not do.

'There you are.' Regina strode up to Emma and put her arm firmly around the blonde's waist.

'Hey.' Emma said, tensing just a little under Regina's grasp, not yet used to her being so affectionate in public.

'Oh, I'm sorry, who is this?' Regina said in a tone that sounded pleasant enough, but Emma recognized as being overly sweet. It was the same tone Regina used when Emma had first come to Storybrooke and she was trying to intimidate her into leaving.

'Regina, this is Cara, Cara, Regina. We knew each other back in my bail bonds days.' she explained easily, not wanting to give Regina anything to be upset over.

'I'm surprised you're not doing that anymore. You loved it, I thought you would do that til the day you die.' Cara said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

'Being the sheriff is nice. Better than I was expecting it to be.' Emma gave a genuine smile to Regina.

'Never thought I'd see the day when you settle into a regular 9-5 job.'

'It isn't exactly 9-5, but having a son changes things quite a bit. A job with steady hours, less chasing down fugitives is better suited to caring for a child.' Regina said, looking at Cara. 'Isn't that right, dear?'

'A son? You have a son? You really have changed.' Cara laughed.

'I'm sorry, how did you say you know my girlfriend.' Regina asked.

'Girlfriend?' Cara repeated. 'Wow, Swan, ten years you've gone from never wanting a relationship or kids to-' she gestured at Regina. 'This. Well, I'll let you get back to shopping for…'

'Cribs.' Regina said and put a hand over her lower abdomen.

And then Cara looked at Regina's stomach. 'Oh, of course, don't mean to keep you. It was good to see you, Swan.'

'You too Cara.' Emma said as they pushed their cart further down the aisle. 'I thought you said you wanted to look at maternity clothes a little bit before the cribs and furniture.'

'Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you that I changed my mind.' Regina said simply. 'Feel like seeing the furniture first.'

'You forgot.' Emma stated.

'What?' Regina asked in response to Emma's self-satisfied smirk.

'Not used to seeing your jealous side, that's all.'

'Jealous, of her? Please.' Regina sniffed.

'You were soooo jealous.' Emma teased, unable to get the smile off her face.

'Hardly. She was simply being inappropriate with you.'

'Inappropriate?'

'Touching you, standing close, the way she was looking at you.'

'Yeah, doesn't sound jealous at all.'

'Dear, jealousy implies wanting something someone else has, and I certainly don't see her as any kind of threat. But I didn't like that she was being – disrespectful to our…' Regina began, but wasn't sure how to finish her thought, how to define what they were now.

'You called me your girlfriend.' Emma's voice was soft, unsure as she broke the silence that hung between them.

'So she would understand that you are not available.' Regina answered slowly, trying to keep her voice even to avoid betraying something deeper.

'I wouldn't mind you know?'

'What?'

'Being your girlfriend.'

'Emma, I said that-'

Emma interrupted her, 'I know why you said it. And I know that we don't need to label anything to know what we mean to each other. But I want you to know that I wouldn't mind that one. I wouldn't mind calling you something that shows what we mean to each other rather than just knowing it.'

Regina stopped the cart and kissed her.

'So, you'll be my girlfriend?' Emma smiled.

'It sounds childish when you put it like that.'

'Is that a yes?'

'Yes. So, you've dated women too.'

'Dated is a strong word for what I did in my 20s.' when Emma finally looked at Regina her expression was one Emma would have expected to find on the Evil Queen. One of her eyebrows was raised and her eyes looked like they were staring straight into Emma's soul. 'Which is why this is different.' Emma added emphatically. 'God, I didn't realize how far away the cribs were.' Emma muttered under her breath.

'So you did sleep with her?' Regina asked.

'I haven't seen her in over ten years. But yes. Once. And it was awkward and not that great.' Emma reassured, and was relieved when they got there. 'Finally. Have you thought of what you'd like?'

'For the furniture I was thinking a dark wood, could work for either a girl or a boy, whichever you are.' Regina turned, speaking to her stomach. 'Maybe this one.'

'You might want to tell Henry before you start building the nursery.' Emma mentioned as casually as she could.

'I suppose, maybe sometime this week? It would be better to have it ready earlier rather than later, I suppose. And I'd appreciate it if you were there also.' Regina added.

'Of course, you're not really worried about how he'll take it are you?'

She was, and she wasn't sure she could handle it if he took it poorly. 'It's pretty significant news isn't it? Suddenly finding out that he's going to be a brother after being an only child his whole life?'

'He made us breakfast when he found out we were dating, that's way weirder than his mom having a baby. And this isn't his first time suddenly finding out about a new family member.'

'We'll see.'

Emma knew she needed a distraction, 'So, what about colors for the sheets and blankets and everything – you really don't want to find out the baby's gender?'

'Not yet.' She wasn't ready, she was still taking this one day at a time. Wonderful as the news was, her whole life was changing, and she was still coming to terms with what that meant.

'K.' Emma said, knowing that there was more there, but also seeing how nervous the woman was already. 'So furniture. Says they also make a matching changing table and dresser to that crib. That was the dresser you liked when we passed by earlier, I think.'

'It is.' Regina said as she looked at the crib and thought of how it would look in the second guest room, against the wall to the left of the window…

Later that afternoon, they went to Nordstroms to look at maternity clothes, with less success. 'What do you think of this one?' Emma asked as she held up a black dress with cap sleeves. It looked similar to a dress she remembered Regina wearing frequently and she was hoping that finally Regina would find a piece that she liked or was willing to try on. She must have suggested a dozen shirts, pants or dresses, but Regina dismissed them for one reason or another. One was too lowcut, another was too bright. And she herself hadn't found anything she liked yet either.

'Hmm.' She glanced at the dress and kept looking through the clothes on the rack she was looking at.

'You haven't picked out one thing to try.' Emma remarked, showing her frustration that Regina wasn't making an effort on the one thing that she needed right away.

'I'm just taking my time to look around.' Regina demurred.

'We've been looking for more than half an hour and you've shooed several saleswomen away. This is going to take all night.' Emma grumbled.

'Isn't the whole point to get clothes that will only fit me in a few months when I'm ready to pop? What good would trying them on do anyway?'

Emma took a moment to think about it. 'That's actually a really good point.'

'Hmm. Seems that you're just as clueless as I am.'

'Maybe that's why you should let a salesperson help you.' Emma suggested, although she muttered it in a voice low enough that Regina might not have heard her.

'This isn't easy for me.' Regina said even softer.

'I know.'

'No, I don't think you do. This baby is going to be one of the two greatest things in my life. But what is going to happen to my body, I've always been… and just at the beginning of our relationship. Our relationship is going to start with me being a cow.' She hissed through clenched teeth.

'You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.' Emma was truly incredulous.

'For now.' Regina held up a finger.

'And bringing a life into this world isn't going to change that. Not one bit. Not to me.' She said emphatically, wanting Regina to understand how unfounded her worries were, at least when it came to their relationship.

'You sound pretty sure.'

'If I was attracted to you when I found out that you were in a decades long blood feud with my mother, I don't think a baby is going to make a difference.' Emma was relieved when that got a smile. 'Ok?'

'This one doesn't look too bad.' She referred to the dress Emma held still. 'But how do I know what size to buy?'

'I dunno.' Emma admitted. Prison didn't have a maternity collection. She was just given larger clothes that allowed for the baby bump, but sagged and didn't fit hardly anywhere else.

A saleswoman stepped from behind a rack, 'Ma'am, if I may, you would just buy the same size you are now. If you are a small now, you would also buy a small in maternity wear.' A saleswoman suggested gently to Regina. 'I don't mean to assume, but it sounded like you are the one who is carrying.'

'Yes, I am, and thank you for pretending that it wasn't obvious from looking. Is it necessary to try these on?' she asked.

'It might be a good idea, so that you can make sure that it isn't too tight now and that there'll be enough room in other areas as the pregnancy progresses.' She answered. 'But it's also a good idea to have some variety, since it's difficult to know what the next few months will bring.'

'Seems sensible.'

'Now would you like me to get a fitting room started for you?' the woman asked.

Regina nodded, and the woman took the clothes out of Emma's arms, 'Now, anything you or your partner picks out, just put in room 4.' She said as she walked away.

'Partner?' Regina repeated.

'Sorry, I just assumed. No wedding rings.' The woman gestured to her ring finger. 'You two make a beautiful couple by the way.'

Regina didn't know what to say.

'She's helpful.' Emma remarked.

'Yes.'

'Oh, these look cute.' Emma held up some athletic pants with a wide elastic waist and a floral print.

'They look like something your mother would wear. No.' Regina said.

'You'll need something comfortable to sleep in though, won't you? Even if you don't wear it outside?' Emma mentioned.

'I suppose. But how about a pair that is a little darker, black perhaps?' She admitted. Emma smiled, this was getting easier.

Gradually, she built up enough for Regina to try and make up a wardrobe. And thankfully in the fitting room, Regina liked enough of what they had picked out to have enough of a maternity wardrobe. She even let the woman help her find maternity bras.

As they were getting ready for bed, Regina saw a text from Zelena asking to talk, so she called her back.

'Zelena, what's-' Regina started, but didn't get to finish before her sister interrupted her.

'Robyn did magic this morning.' Zelena sounded frantic over the phone.

'Oh.' That wasn't what Regina had been expecting, but it was easier to deal with than the other possibilities that briefly flitted through her mind.

'I don't know what to do.'

'What did she do?'

'She wanted to play while she was eating and summoned her favorite toy right to her high chair.'

'Oh.'

'Oh?'

'I'm not sure what else to say.'

'I'm worried.'

'About what?'

'Her having magic. Of course I knew there was a chance, we both got it from our mother. And we've already spoken about what might happen if she did. But I was kind of hoping that she wouldn't.'

'I see.'

'It would be so much easier wouldn't it? If she didn't have magic. Sure we're happy now, but magic hasn't always been a force for good to the women in our family.'

'No it certainly hasn't.' she agreed easily.

'And our mother- she may have made amends in the Underworld but her magic destroyed the lives of countless people and left her miserable and bitter and I – what if I'm like her.'

'You're already doing so much better than Cora did with me, and with you. When you found out you were going to be a single mother, did you put Robyn in a basket and send her to another realm so that she wouldn't ruin your chances of marrying into power?'

Emma had to try not to laugh at that.

'No.' Zelena answered almost reluctantly

'Already infinitely better.'

'Regina I'm serious.'

'I know. And I already told you that I don't see any problem with you teaching Robyn magic. Your situation is completely different than our mother's.'

'But-'

'I understand your concern. I do. But Robyn's experience with magic will be very different than ours and our mother's were. Because she'll have you.'

'You really think that she'll be different than we were when we were younger? That she'll turn out differently than we did?'

'I don't know. And there's no way for you to guarantee that either. But I do know that you are going to give her every advantage that we didn't have, to see her magic as a part of herself that she doesn't need to be ashamed of and that is what she makes of it. And it wouldn't hurt to teach her that going down a dark path is never worth what it costs.'

Zelena sighed. 'I suppose that's true. How would you handle it?'

Regina took a moment to think about her question. 'I don't know.'

'You might want to think about it, not just for me, but because that might not be hypothetical for you for very long.' Zelena added softly. 'How's vacationing with Emma? Enjoying having a weekend to yourselves, all alone?'

'I have to go, I'll talk to you when we get back.' Regina said curtly, trying to get off the phone before Zelena made her blush thinking of all of what she and Emma had done last night in this very bed.

'Alright, I'll let you go. And thank you.'

'You're welcome, goodbye.'

'Ta.'

Regina thought about it. Her child, teaching them magic.

'Hey.' Emma plopped next to her on the bed.

'Hey.'

'Soo what do you think about ordering dessert from room service?' Emma asked, spreading out the menu in front of both of them.

Regina nearly moaned. 'That sounds divine. How about something with a lot of chocolate?'

'You got it. How about ooooh hot fudge brownie explosion? Hot fudge sundae with chocolate ice cream with brownie bits in it, and brownies in the sundae?'

'That sounds perfect. And I hope that you enjoy this while it lasts. After the baby comes, I'm not going to let you get away with eating this poorly.'

'Oh I know.' Emma smirked and ordered the food.

* * *

'Do you know why my mom insisted on having Sunday dinner the day we came back from vacation?' Emma asked as she, Regina and Henry were in the car on their way to the Charmings' loft.

'You're asking me?' Regina asked after a period of silence in the car.

'I don't know. Damn.'

'Why? Are you worried?' Regina wondered.

'She's seemed – I don't know lately.' Emma wasn't sure how to word how her mother had been the last week or so. It wasn't bad, but it was different.

'You don't know? What on Earth does that mean?'

'I don't know.' Emma repeated, not wanting to say with Henry in the car. And Regina at least seemed to pick up on that. 'Off, maybe. Somehow cheerier than her normal cheery self, which I didn't think was possible.' That earned a chuckle from the back seat.

For all of Emma's uncertainty, dinner seemed to go smoothly. She and Regina gave generic answers about their trip, like how much they enjoyed the city and how Regina couldn't believe Henry had found Emma's apartment there when he was just ten years old. Regina even admitted how good Emma's favorite pizza place was, promising to take Henry there someday so he could try for himself. Throughout the meal, Snow seemed happier than usual, giddy almost. By the time she served dessert, it was almost too much for Emma.

'Mom, not that we're not happy to see you and have dinner with you, but is there a reason that you insisted we get together the day Regina and I drove back from Boston?' she asked.

'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even think of that. Emma, I just, I wanted to see you and for you to know that we love and support you. Always. No matter what's going on in your life.'

'Ok, thanks.'

'And it's ok you didn't tell us your news right away. We're here for you. We're your family. There's nothing that could change or get in the way of that.' Snow went on.

'Uh what news are you talking about?' Emma was worried. How did she find out about her and Regina? Henry wouldn't say anything, and they had been more than careful about being affectionate only away from prying eyes. She looked to David, who was staring intently at his piece of cherry pie.

When Snow didn't answer, Neal did. 'You're having a baby.' he burst out grinning. 'Like me!'

'What?' Emma asked, all color drained from her face. She couldn't believe it. This was the last thing she expected.

'You're having a baby, Emma, Mommy said.' Neal recited happily.

'You told Neal I'm pregnant?' Emma tried to keep her voice low as she turned slowly to Snow who was biting her lower lip.

'I didn't, he must have overheard.' Snow at least looked contrite, with her brows furrowed and pout in full effect.

'Wait overheard? So who else were you telling?' Emma demanded, having lost her desire to keep her voice down.

'Just David! I swear.' She promised, and Emma believed her.

'Oh my God.' Emma buried her head in her hands. She didn't know what she was going to do. And how had the woman gotten it so very wrong. 'Why do you even think that?'

Snow didn't answer right away, and Henry filled the silence after putting something together. 'Wait. Is that why you guys are together?' Henry asked Emma and Regina, who looked like she was either going to pass out or fireball everyone in the room, Emma couldn't tell, and at the moment, she couldn't quite bring herself to having a preference either.

'O my God.' Emma said, her face resting in her hands on the table. This wasn't happening. She wasn't ready for this. She had been thinking of how she would tell her parents about her and Regina. There would be planning, and wine. A lot of wine. Not Henry just blurting it out while she's trying to explain that she isn't pregnant again.

'What?' it was a good thing that she was already sitting down because Snow looked as though she was about to faint. 'Who's together.'

'Oops. Sorry.' Henry mumbled, realizing he had only made whatever was going on worse.

'No, first you're telling me why the fuck you think I'm pregnant!' Emma pointed at her.

'Emma.' Regina said and looked at her young brother, who looked scandalized himself with everyone shouting.

Emma rolled her eyes, 'He's Snow White's son, he doesn't know that's a bad word.'

'Emma said a bad word?' Neal asked, suddenly curious.

'See?' Emma said to Regina.

Charming stood up from his seat. 'Ok.' he said loudly, in effort to silence his family. 'It seems like there's a lot going on.'

'No shit.' Emma said.

'Emma!' Snow scolded.

Charming continued gently, 'Emma, why don't you tell us what's got you so upset?'

The blonde shook her head. 'Uh uh. No. Why do you think that I'm pregnant. Tell me now.'

Snow hesitated, worrying her lower lip while her family members waited for her to answer. 'I spoke to Blue.' She admitted finally, after it was clear that no one was going to interrupt and were all waiting for her answer.

'Of fucking course.' Emma at least muttered under her breath.

'I knew she shouldn't be trusted.' Regina said. 'Not a week after we see her and she blabs to your mother. I wonder who else she's told.'

'I don't think she told anyone else, and she didn't want you to know that she told me, but she thought that I should know about your – situation.' Snow rambled on. 'So that we could be there for you, and it wasn't just Regina who knew.'

'Yet another reason not to trust the fairies.' Regina chimed in, wanting to give Emma some relief from trying to correct her parents' misconception alone. 'Snow, Emma and I went to go ask Blue if she could help us with a magical pregnancy. But it wasn't Emma's. We told her that because we didn't think she would help if she knew whose it really was.'

'Oh.' She said and Regina could see the question in her eyes. She knew that there was no going back now.

It wasn't how Regina thought this would go. But now that they were talking about it anyway, she figured it would be easier to just get it over with. Magical pregnancies weren't exactly things that you just let go. 'Emma's not pregnant.' She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'But I am.'

'Oh.'

'Wait? Really?' Henry asked excitedly. Regina nodded. 'I'm going to have a brother or sister? Awesome!'

'In about three months. That's why we went out of town. I need to start shopping for baby things and maternity clothes, but I wasn't ready to start telling people other than Emma.'

'Oh.' Snow looked guilty. 'I'm sorry Regina, I-'

Regina held up her hand. 'Please, there's no need. Being pregnant, I don't have the energy to be upset with you about it.' She said. If she and Emma were going to be together, that only meant being closer to the Charmings than she was already. And that meant that she would have to find a way to be more tolerant of them.

'That's wonderful news.' Snow said, her guilty expression melting instantly into a broad, sincere smile. 'I thought you couldn't-'

Regina cut her off, 'So did I, that's why it's such a surprise. We have no idea how it happened, so we went to see Blue. She told us she was just as clueless as we are, but she was lying.'

'I don't understand, why would she lie?' Snow asked, and Regina rolled her eyes.

'She always seems to have an ulterior motive.' Emma said.

'I'm so happy for you.' Snow said to her former step-mother. 'Can I give you a hug?' she asked shyly.

Regina stood up and Snow ran over and threw her arms around her. 'Wait, did Henry say something about you two being together?'

Emma saw Regina's eyes widen as Snow still held her in a congratulatory hug.

'Yeah, Mom, Dad, Regina and I are dating.' Emma admitted so that Regina wouldn't have to.

Both their expressions fell blank.

Emma's phone buzzed and she checked it. Regina grew concerned when the blonde was just staring as everyone else remained silent in the wake of the second piece of news.

'Emma, what is it?' Regina asked.

'The camera – by your house. It caught something.'

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry to leave you with a cliff hanger that's kinda a double cliff hanger! The next part yet isn't quite finished yet, and this chapter is my longest yet as it is. But, the next one will have answers though. Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think, I love reading your reviews :)**


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